TRANSPORT

Nuclear Waste Shipments

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the seaworthiness of ships that will carry cargoes of nuclear waste from Japan to Sellafield.

David Jamieson: Ships are subject to mandatory survey by their flag administration in accordance with the requirements of the International Maritime Organisation. The ships that are transporting MOX fuel from Japan to Sellafield are flagged with the UK and so the survey and certification arrangements are the responsibility of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency acting on behalf of the Secretary of State for Transport.
	The ships have been subjected to the proper survey regime and hold valid certificates of compliance with the IMO requirements, including the special requirements applicable to ships meeting the highest Class 3 of the International Code for the Safe Carriage of Packaged Irradiated Nuclear Fuel, Plutonium and High-Level Radioactive Waste on board Ships.

Nuclear Waste Shipments

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the risk to coastal areas from ships carrying cargoes of nuclear waste to Sellafield.

David Jamieson: Between 1995 and 1999 the UK participated in an international research project, co-ordinated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which studied the risks associated with ships carrying radioactive material of all kinds, including nuclear waste. The results of that study were published in IAEA-TECDOC-1231, "Severity, probability and risk of accidents during maritime transport of radioactive material", in July 2001, which is available on the IAEA's website at http://www.iaea.org/ns/rasanet/programme/ radiationsafety/transportsafety/Downloads/Files2001/ t1231.pdf.

Fareham

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many transport (a) surveys and (b) studies under way cover Fareham.

David Jamieson: My Department is currently undertaking the South Coast Multi Modal Study, which includes consideration of strategic transport issues from Southampton to Margate, including Fareham. One of that study's eight strategy development plans centres on the south Hampshire area. The responsibility for local transport issues in Fareham is a matter for Hampshire County Council, who will periodically undertake surveys and consultation events in connection with the local transport plan and specific measures such as the development of the light rail line from Fareham to Portsmouth via Gosport.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Committee for the adaptation to technical progress of recording equipment in road transport (tachographs) is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Committee for Adaptation to Technical Progress (CATP) last met in September 2001 and currently there are no plans for further meetings. Officials from my Department represent the UK on the Committee as policy responsibility for the tachographs is a reserved matter. However, my officials consult the Scottish Executive on agenda items in which it might have an interest in accordance with our Concordat with the devolved Administrations.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Committee for the establishment of conditions for the interoperability of the trans-European high-speed rail system is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The next meeting of this Committee is scheduled for 30 September 2002. Officials from the Strategic Rail Authority, assisted by HM Inspectorate of Railways, represent the UK on the Committee as policy responsibility for the transport trans-European network is a reserved matter. However, my officials would consult the Scottish Executive on agenda items in which it might have an interest in accordance with our Concordat with the devolved Administrations.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Committee on the reciprocal recognition of national boatmasters' certificates for the carriage of goods and passengers by inland waterway is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: This Committee has not met for some time and it is not known when it will next meet. Officials from my Department would represent the UK on this Committee as responsibility for policy on national boatmasters' certificates is a reserved matter.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Committee on the System of Changing for the Use of Transport Infrastructure is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: No date has yet been fixed for the next meeting of this Committee but we expect it to be held in the Autumn. Officials from my Department represent the UK on the Committee as policy responsibility for EU transport infrastructure charging issues is a reserved matter. However, my officials consult the Scottish Executive on agenda items in which it might have an interest in accordance with our Concordat with the Devolved Administrations.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Advisory Committee on unfair pricing in maritime transport is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: It is not known when this Committee will next meet. Officials from the Office of Fair Trading, the Department of Trade and Industry and my Department, as appropriate, represent the UK on this Committee as competition policy is a reserved matter.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Committee on application of tonnage measurement of ballast spaces in segregated ballast of oil tankers is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Committee has never met and there are no plans for it to do so.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Committee for the adaptation to technical progress of roadworthiness tests of vehicles is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: No date has yet been fixed for the meeting of this Committee but we expect it to be held in the autumn. Officials from my Department represent the UK on the Committee as policy responsibility for the roadworthiness testing of vehicles is a reserved matter. However, my officials consult the Scottish Executive on agenda items in which it might have an interest in accordance with our Concordat with the Devolved Administrations.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Committee on application of the legislation on the minimum level of training for seafarers and the recognition of certificates issued by training institutes or administration of third countries is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: No date has yet been fixed for the next meeting of this committee. Officials from my Department represent the UK on the committee as policy responsibility is a reserved matter. My officials will consult the Scottish Executive on agenda items in which it might have an interest in accordance with our Concordat with the devolved Administrations.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Committee on the transfer for ships from one register to another within the Community is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: This committee has never been known to meet and there are no plans for it to do so. Officials from my Department would represent the UK on this committee since policy on ship registration is a reserved matter.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Advisory Committee on the Transportation of Radioactive Waste (Surveillance and Control) is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 10 June 2002, Official Report, column 917W.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Committee for granting Community financial aid in the field of trans-European networks on transport is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: No date has yet been fixed for the next meeting of this committee but we expect it to be held in the autumn. Officials from my Department represent the UK on the committee as policy responsibility for the transport trans-European network is a reserved matter. However, my officials consult the Scottish Executive on agenda items in which it might have an interest in accordance with our Concordat with the devolved Administrations.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Committee on the Development of Trans-Europe Transport Networks is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: No date has yet been fixed for the next meeting of this committee but we expect it to be held in the autumn. Officials from my Department represent the UK on the committee as policy responsibility for the transport trans-European network is a reserved matter. However, my officials consult the Scottish Executive on agenda items in which it might have an interest in accordance with our concordat with the devolved Administrations.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Committee on the Adaptation to Scientific and Technical Progress of Legislation concerning the Transport of Dangerous Goods is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: There is no date set for the next meeting of this committee, but it is expected to be in late 2002. Officials from the Department for Transport, and the Health and Safety Executive represent the UK on this committee, as responsibility for the transport of dangerous goods is a reserved matter, pertaining to transport safety.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Advisory Committee on Transport is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: This committee was established under Article 79 of the EC treaty. But, as far as we are aware, the committee has not met in recent times and there are no plans for it to do so. Representatives of the Scottish Executive have not been—and would not in the future be—members of the committee as EU transport policy is a reserved matter.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Advisory Committee on aids to transport by rail, road and inland waterway is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: This Committee was established under the provisions of Article 6 of the 1970 Regulation on the granting of aids for transport by rail, road and inland waterway (Regulation (EEC) No. 1107/70). As far as we are aware, the Committee has not met for several years and there are no plans for it so to do. Representatives of the Scottish Executive have not been—and would not in the future be—members of the Committee as policy on state aids is a reserved matter.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Implementation Committee on minimum requirements for vessels bound for and leaving Community ports and carrying dangerous or polluting goods is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: No date has been fixed for the next meeting of this Committee. Officials from my Department represent the UK on the Committee as responsibility for maritime safety and pollution prevention is a reserved matter.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Advisory Committee on the definition and use of compatible technical and operating standards and specifications for the procurement of air traffic management equipment and systems is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: This Committee meets only on an ad-hoc basis, and no meetings are scheduled at present. Officials from my Department would represent the UK on the Committee as policy responsibility on air traffic management is a reserved matter. However, my officials would consult the Scottish Executive on agenda items in which it might have an interest in accordance with our Concordat with the devolved Administrations.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Committee on the harmonisation of technical requirements and administrative procedures in the field of civil aviation is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Committee on the harmonisation of technical requirements and administrative procedures in the field of civil aviation is established under the provisions of Article 12 of Council Regulation (EEC) 3922–91. The Committee meets only on an ad-hoc basis and no future meeting is currently scheduled. It is composed of officials competent in the sphere of aviation safety regulation and each Member State may nominate one official to represent it. Since aviation safety regulation is a reserved matter, representatives from the Scottish Executive would not attend Committee meetings. However, the Government would consult the Scottish Executive on agenda items in which it might have an interest in accordance with our Concordat with the Devolved Administrations.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Committee on the driving licence is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: No date has yet been fixed for this Committee but we expect it to be held in the Autumn. Officials from my Department represent the UK on the Committee, supported as necessary by colleagues from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and the Driving Standards Agency. Policy responsibility for driving licences is a reserved matter.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Advisory Committee on restrictive practices and dominant positions in air transport is next due to met; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Advisory Committee on restrictive practices and dominant positions in air transport is established under the provisions of Article 8 of Regulation (EEC) 3975/87. The Committee meets only on an ad-hoc basis and no future meeting is currently scheduled. It is composed of officials competent in the sphere of air transport and agreements and dominant positions and each Member State may nominate two officials to represent it.
	Since regulation of aviation and air transport, and of anti-competitive practices and agreements and abuse of dominant position, are reserved matters, representatives from the Scottish Executive would not attend Committee meetings. However, the Government would consult the Scottish Executive on agenda items in which it might have an interest in accordance with our Concordat with the Devolved Administrations.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Technical Adaptation Committee on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The UK representatives at such meetings would be drawn from staff with the relevant technical and policy responsibilities within the Health and Safety Executive. During the last 12 months HSE have received no invitations to such technical meetings; nor are any currently scheduled.
	Health and safety at work does not fall within the responsibilities of the devolved Governments of Scotland and Wales, and they do not have separate representation in the European Community. However, central Departments are under an obligation to consult them if matters negotiated at European level touch upon the responsibilities of the devolved Administrations.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Technical Adaptation Committee on the minimum safety and health requirements for improved medical treatment on board vessels is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: This committee has never met, and there are no plans for it to do so.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the EU Advisory Committee on restrictive practices and dominant positions in the shipping industry is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Advisory Committee on restrictive practices and dominant positions meets on an ad hoc basis when there are decisions or legislative proposals to discuss. It is not known when it will next meet. Officials from the Office of Fair Trading, the Department of Trade and Industry and my Department represent the UK on the committee as competition policy is a reserved matter.

London-South Midlands Multi-Modal Study

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the re-opening of the Luton-Dunstable- Leighton Buzzard railway line is to be assessed as part of the transport strategy being developed in the London- South Midlands Multi-Modal Study.

David Jamieson: The Multi-Modal Study is a strategic study looking primarily at the needs of long distance traffic in the study area. The re-opening of the Luton-Dunstable-Leighton Buzzard railway line, which would primarily serve local needs, has therefore, not been considered in detail within the context of the study.

Travel Awareness Campaigns

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to fund travel awareness campaigns (a) this year and (b) in future years.

David Jamieson: This year we are supporting the "Walk to School", "Bike Week" and "In town, without my car" campaigns and are considering further promotion of "traveline", the public transport information service. We are also providing practical support for other sustainable travel initiatives including funding local authority school and work place travel plan co-ordinators, free consultancy advice for schools and organisations wanting to develop travel plans, regional cycling co-ordinators, and cycling projects through the Cycling Projects Fund. We shall shortly be inviting local authorities to bid for funding to run personalised travel planning demonstration projects. Some of these projects will stretch over several years, others are still under development.

London Transport Studies Model

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place a copy of the London Transport Studies Model, as used for the 10 Year Plan, in the Library.

David Jamieson: holding answer 8 July 2002
	I have arranged for the document pack "London Transportation Studies Model", published by the Government Office for London in 1999, which is referred to on page 13 of the Transport 2010 Background Analysis to be placed in the Libraries of the House. Transport for London is now responsible for maintaining and updating the model.

Airline Safety

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what steps are taken to prevent airline pilots from operating an aircraft under the influence of alcohol;
	(2)  how many aircraft pilots and crew have been found under the influence of (a) alcohol and (b) drugs in the past year.

David Jamieson: It is an offence under the Air Navigation Order 2000 for aircraft pilots to carry out their duties whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs. As part of the process for obtaining an Air Operator Certificate from the Civil Aviation Authority, airlines are required to establish policies on alcohol and drugs to ensure compliance with this provision. The detailed implementation of such policies is a matter for the airlines. In addition, pilots have to undergo regular medical examinations which will pay attention to any evidence of excess alcohol intake or substance abuse. The Authority is not aware of any UK licensed professional pilots flying whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs, in the past year.
	We intend to enhance the statutory provisions by introducing a prescribed blood/alcohol limit for safety critical personnel in aviation, and powers to allow police to test suspected offenders, at an appropriate legislative opportunity.

Airline Safety

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many commercial aircraft have not met safety requirements in the past year.

David Jamieson: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is responsible for the implementation of safety standards for all UK registered aircraft and airlines. Its Safety Regulation Group audits and inspects aircraft and airlines on an on-going and systematic basis and takes appropriate regulatory action as and where necessary.
	Operators of commercial aircraft must hold an Air Operator Certificate which places on them responsibilities to ensure that any aircraft is fit to make its intended flight. If an aircraft is not fit to make a particular flight the operator will correct the problem before allowing the aircraft to fly. As a result, UK registered aircraft should not fly commercial operations unless they meet safety requirements and the CAA is not aware of any that have done so in the past year.
	Should an aircraft not be fit to make an intended flight as a consequence of one of the conditions which must be reported under the CAA's Mandatory Occurrence Reporting Scheme, the operator will advise the Authority accordingly, thus meeting the safety requirements placed upon them.

Airline Safety

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with and representations he has received from (a) the Health and Safety Executive, (b) National Air Traffic Services and (c) the CAA on safety breaches by low-cost airlines; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will list (a) published and (b) unpublished reports on safety of (i) airlines and (ii) National Air Traffic Services prepared by (1) the Health and Safety Executive and (2) the Civil Aviation Authority since 1 June 2001; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what recent assessments have been made of the safety of (a) airlines and (b) National Air Traffic Services by (i) the Health and Safety Executive and (ii) the Civil Aviation Authority since 1 June 2001; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is responsible for the implementation of safety standards for National Air Traffic Services Limited (NATS) and all UK registered airlines. Its Safety Regulation Group audits and inspects these companies on an on-going and systematic basis and takes appropriate regulatory action as and where necessary. There are statutory prohibitions on disclosing information supplied to the CAA in its safety regulatory capacity and the authority does not publish the reports of its inspections of airlines or NATS. Public disclosure of such reports, related to specific companies, could have an adverse effect on the openness and effectiveness of the established auditing and reporting procedures. Evidence of any concerns regarding the safety of a UK registered airline should be reported to the CAA for further investigation.
	The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has made one recent assessment in connection with NATS which concerned the possible risks to health of those operating the air traffic control system at Swanwick. The ensuing report was sent to NATS and to representatives of the relevant employees. There are statutory restrictions on the disclosure of information obtained by the HSE in pursuance of its powers that apply to this report.

Air Travel (Security Surcharge)

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what impact the £7 security surcharge is having on the number of passengers travelling on United Kingdom flights;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure money raised from the £7 security surcharge on United Kingdom flights is invested into security at United Kingdom airports;
	(3)  what extra security arrangements were required by the Government in UK airports following the events of 11 September 2001;
	(4)  what representations he has received calling for the £7 security surcharge on United Kingdom flights to be abolished.

David Jamieson: The Government have not introduced a security surcharge on United Kingdom flights.
	Following the attacks on 11 September, heightened aviation security measures were introduced at all UK airports and for all airlines operating from the UK, and security remains at an enhanced level. We do not discuss the details of our aviation security requirements, although I can say that the UK does have one of the most demanding aviation security regimes in the world.
	It has long been central to UK aviation policy that users should pay the full costs of air travel, and this should include the costs of whatever level of security is deemed appropriate in the light of prevailing circumstances. Many United Kingdom and other European carriers have already imposed ticket surcharges to reflect increased insurance and security costs, and this is the pattern which we believe the industry should follow. This is a matter for them and I see no grounds for Government intervention in this area.
	Different airlines have been affected differently in the aftermath of 11 September. Some airlines' passenger numbers are still well down on June 2001. On the other hand, no-frills carriers are reporting an increase in passengers. This does not suggest that having to pay additional security costs is having a major impact on people's decision on whether or not to fly.

Statistics

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the statistics that are collected by his Department by English parliamentary constituency; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: holding answer 8 July 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend, the Financial Secretary on Monday 8 July 2002.

Concessionary Travel Schemes

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to extend the eligibility criteria for concessionary travel schemes in the next four years.

David Jamieson: From 1 April 2003, men aged 60–65 will benefit from the concessionary travel arrangements available in their area. At present we have no other plans to extend eligibility for concessionary travel schemes.

Concessionary Travel Schemes

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to fund the full cost of concessionary travel schemes in (a) London and (b) all other local authority areas.

David Jamieson: Government provision for existing concessionary travel schemes is included in the general grant for local authorities. This is distributed using standard spending assessments and it is not possible to provide a meaningful allocation for each authority. Future levels of spending are currently under consideration in the Spending Review. It is for local authorities to decide their spending priorities in the light of their responsibilities and the wishes of their electorate.

Departmental Energy Use

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated (a) level and (b) cost of energy use in his Department and associated agencies was in each year since 1997; what proportion of energy was generated from renewable sources; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: My Department was formed on 29 May.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr. Leslie) on 8 July 2002, Official Report, column 679W.

0870 Telephone Numbers

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on using 0870 telephone numbers for inquiries by the public to the Department and its agencies.

David Jamieson: There is no overall departmental policy covering the use of national rate (0870) telephone numbers for inquiries by the public to the Department and its agencies. National rate numbers are not used anywhere in the centre of the Department. Usage in the various departmental agencies is as follows.
	DVLA use national rate (0870) telephone numbers for the main inquiry lines that answer general queries about driver licensing and vehicle registration and licensing. This is to ensure that all callers receive a fair and equitable service in as much as they pay the same telephone charge no matter from what part of the country they call.
	The vehicle inspectorate uses a national rate (0870) number as an additional service above and beyond the local contact numbers that are available to the trade and general public.
	The Driving Standards Agency uses a national rate (0870) number for telephone bookings for driving tests at their two call centres, based in Newcastle and Cardiff. This ensures equity of payment for all customers using booking services without resulting in increased fee levels.
	The Maritime and Coastguard Agency Rescue use a national rate (0870) number for their information line, which handles general inquiries about the MCA.
	Highways Agency and Vehicle Certification Agency do not use national rate numbers.

Ministerial Speeches

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the speech made by the Minister to the international travel information seminar in London on 26 June;
	(2)  what speeches have been made by his Ministers to external organisations or events since the beginning of June; and if he will place copies in the Library;
	(3)  if he will list speeches which he has made to external organisations or events since the beginning of June; and if he will place copies in the Library.

David Jamieson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport made a speech to the Railway Forum on 2 July. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Transport addressed the annual rail freight conference on 20 June, the 5th United Kingdom Transport conference on 25 June, the Passenger Transport Executive Group on 27 June and the aviation club on 3 July. I made two speeches on 26 June, one to the international travel information seminar and one to the Baltic Exchange Golden Jubilee reception. Where appropriate, ministerial speeches are placed on the Department's website.

Health and Safety Legislation

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what responsibility his Department has for workplace-related health and safety legislation;
	(2)  what responsibility his Department has for workplace-related health and safety legislation.

David Jamieson: The Secretary of State for Transport currently answers to Parliament on all activities of the Health and Safety Commission and Executive, except when these come within the specific area of responsibility of another Secretary of State. Under section 11 (2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, the Secretary of State may approve proposals from the Commission for regulations, and under section 15 (1) of the Act may also introduce health and safety legislation, provided the Commission is consulted.
	In tandem with the recent machinery of government changes, it was announced on 29 May that there will be a review of departmental responsibilities for health and safety issues. An announcement on this will be made in due course.

Joint Working

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list (a) the protocols for joint working between his Department and other Departments and (b) the Government code of practice under which his Department operates when working with other Departments; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: With regard to protocols for joint working between my Department and other Departments, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Bath (Mr. Foster) on 25 June 2002, Official Report, column 777W. When consulting other Departments on the development of policy, my Department follows the guidance in volume 1 of the Directory of Civil Service Guidance. hon. Friend the Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Tom Brake).

Staff Training

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Department has spent on staff training and development in each of the last five years.

David Jamieson: My Department is fully committed to the training and development of its staff. In the last five years it has spent the following amounts:
	1997–98—£1.9 million—Department of Transport and Department of the Environment
	1998–99—£2.9 million—DETR
	1999–2000—£3.2 million—DETR
	2000–01—£4.5 million—DETR
	2001–02—£6.5 million—DTLR.

Public Consultations

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the public consultations undertaken by his Department and its predecessors since 1997; if copies were available (a) online and (b) in print in each case; and on what date the period for responses (i) opened and (ii) closed.

David Jamieson: A full list of the public consultations undertaken by the Department or its predecessors since 1997 has been placed in the Libraries of the House, including the dates for which the period for responses opened and closed. The list is based on central records and reflects the public consultations undertaken within the areas for which the Department is currently responsible. The Department does not, however, keep central historical records relating to the availability of consultation documents online or in printed form.

Bull Bars

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the likely impact of bull bars on pedestrians who are involved in collision with the front of vehicles at varying speeds;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of proposals to ban the fitting of bull bars to the front of vehicles in the United Kingdom;
	(3)  how many vehicles with bull bars were licensed for use on United Kingdom roads in each of the last five years for which records are available.

David Jamieson: The Government funded a comprehensive TRL study that looked into the likely effects of bull bars on pedestrians and recommended test procedures to identify aggressive designs. The report "Assessment and Test Procedures for Bull Bars" by G. Lawrence, C. Rodmell and A. Osborne has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	We have concluded that the most effective way of controlling aggressive bull bars would be on a European basis, and welcome the commitment by the European Motor Industry to stop fitting rigid bull bars to new cars from this year.
	We have also submitted a technical proposal to the Commission, based on the TRL work, setting out how after-market bull bars and bull bars fitted to larger vehicles could be dealt with through European legislation. We are pressing the Commission to take this forward.
	The number of licensed vehicles fitted with bull bars is not officially recorded. However of the 23 million licensed vehicles on UK roads, we estimate that there are around 600,000 vehicles fitted with bull bars.

Bull Bars

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the EU on plans to introduce legislation and directives to make the front of vehicles safer;
	(2)  what plans he has to introduce legislation to make the fronts of vehicles safer.

David Jamieson: Legislation covering the design of new cars is dealt with at a European level. We welcome the proposal by the European Commission for an agreement with the motor industry to design car fronts to reduce the injury to pedestrians in the event of an impact. We are now awaiting a further proposal from the Commission to provide a legislative framework for this agreement.

Driver Competence

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the development of a national framework of assessment of continuing medical competence to drive of those who have experienced trauma, illness or infirmity.

David Jamieson: In common with all drivers who may have a medical condition affecting their safety to drive, those who have experienced trauma, illness or infirmity are assessed against the standards of medical fitness contained in Directive 91/439/EEC, and against the requirements of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and its associated Regulations. A practical assessment of a driver's competence following head injury or other conditions, such as a stroke, is available at 15 mobility centres around the UK. This facility is used at the request of the medical advisers at DVLA, doctors and the drivers themselves. The Department is in the process of commissioning a research programme to assess the most appropriate means of evaluating drivers with residual deficit following trauma, illness or infirmity.

Tankers

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) United Kingdom registered bulk tankers and (b) tankers registered elsewhere have been lost in each of the past five years.

David Jamieson: Lloyd's Register—Fairplay Ltd. World Casualty Statistics indicate the following number of losses in the world fleet for Tankers and Bulk Carriers. There have been no UK registered losses for these types of vessels in the past five years.
	
		
			   Tankers Bulk carriers 
		
		
			 1997 24 16 
			 1998 15 29 
			 1999 15 19 
			 2000 14 21 
			 2001 12 9

Highway Construction Workers

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many statutory notifications there have been of injuries among highway construction workers in each of the last 10 years.

David Jamieson: The following is the available information.
	
		Injuries to workers occurring in the processes of road repairs and surfacing, and in street cleaning and verge maintenance, 1996–97 to 2000–01
		
			   Fatal injuries  Major injuries  Over three day injuries  
			   Road repairs/ surfacing/ maintenance Road verge maintenance Road repairs/ surfacing/ maintenance Road verge maintenance Road repairs/ surfacing/ maintenance Road verge maintenance 
		
		
			 1996–97 5 — 107 16 614 79 
			 1997–98 4 — 95 18 557 95 
			 1998–99 3 — 91 17 526 109 
			 1999–2000 2 — 75 11 444 80 
			 2000–01 9 1 59 13 377 68 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures relate to employees and the self-employed.
	2. Injuries reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995.
	3. The table sets out data from 1996–97 onwards. Access to earlier data is available only at disproportionate cost
	4. Statistics relate to the planning year from 1 April to 31 March.

Vehicle Emissions

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his timetable is for the introduction of car emission labelling on new cars; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: Labelling for new cars showing fuel consumption information has been a legal requirement in the UK since 1983. Since 1999 the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has had a voluntary system of labelling based on the requirements of the EU directive for labels to show CO 2 emissions as well as fuel consumption information. The EU directive was formally implemented in the UK in November 2001. The Government have recently consulted on proposals to pilot a possible new form of label to ensure that it is as meaningful and informative as possible. Responses to the consultation are now being considered.

Vehicle Emissions

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the contribution the vehicle labelling scheme on car emissions can make to the United Kingdom Kyoto targets.

David Jamieson: The EU vehicle labelling scheme is part of the Community's wider strategy to reduce CO 2 emissions from new passenger cars. It is designed to support and complement other strands of this strategy including voluntary agreements with car manufacturers to reduce average CO 2 emissions, and fiscal measures. Provision of information on fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions under the labelling scheme is a tool with which to influence consumer demand towards more fuel- efficient vehicles. It could also provide an added incentive to manufacturers to produce vehicles with lower fuel consumption. As an integral part of the strategy to reduce CO 2 emissions it is difficult to isolate the contribution made by the labelling scheme from wider changes going on in the new car market. Nevertheless, fuel consumption and CO 2 emissions labelling is expected to have a smaller impact than for example voluntary agreements with manufacturers.

Vehicle Emissions

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the contributions made by other EU countries on the subject of the emission ratings on new cars in order to meet Kyoto targets.

David Jamieson: The EU is keeping its requirements on labelling under review in the light of member state's experience with their different labelling systems introduced under the EU labelling directive. The directive requires member states to provide a report by the end of 2003, discussing the lessons learned from implementing the labelling scheme. That report may better enable an assessment to be made of the contributions made by other EU countries on emissions ratings for new cars and the contribution to meeting CO 2 emissions reduction targets.

Motoring Statistics

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average expenditure on motoring per car per week was in the last 12 months for people living in (a) Wiltshire, (b) Dorset, (c) Hampshire and (d) Somerset.

David Jamieson: Information on motoring expenditure is not available at county level.

Car Use

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to reduce air pollution caused by car use in London.

David Jamieson: Central and local government both have a role to play in reducing air pollution caused by car use in London.
	The Government has introduced a range of measures to encourage environmentally friendly transport. These include lower fuel duties for cleaner fuels and grants under the PowerShift and CleanUp programmes to help car owners, hauliers and transport operators to buy or convert vehicles to run on cleaner fuels such as LPG natural gas and electricity.
	The Mayor of London has produced a Transport Strategy for London and is due to produce an Air Quality very shortly which will contain policies to reduce air pollution from vehicles.
	London boroughs have a key role to play through the Local Air Quality Management regime. Most boroughs have drawn up, or are in the process of drawing up, air quality action plans under section 84 of the Environment Act 1995, setting out what they are doing to improve air quality in their areas. These action plans are likely to include measures targeted at reducing emissions from road transport.

Road Traffic Forecasts

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the next national road traffic forecasts are due to be published; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: No decision has been made on when new national road traffic forecasts will be published.

New Cars

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what prediction he has made of the numbers of new cars on the road in the United Kingdom in (a) 2002–03, (b) 2003–04, (c) 2004–05 and (d) 2005–06.

David Jamieson: The Department does not forecast either the total stock of cars or the number of new cars purchased each year. Instead, forecasting work projects forward Census figures for car ownership by households. Current published figures show an increase from a projected 25.6 million cars in households in Great Britain in 2001 to 27.7 million in 2006, an increase of approximately 420,000 cars each year, equal to a growth rate of around 1.6 per cent. per annum. This increase is driven by population growth, income growth, and a trend towards higher rates of licence-holding, particularly among females. The figures will be reviewed when 2001 Census data becomes available.

Vehicle Excise Duty

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost in 2002–03 is of administering vehicle excise duty; how many officials are involved; where they are located; and what the annual salary bill has been in each of the last three years.

David Jamieson: holding answer 8 July 2002
	The costs and staff involved in the collection and enforcement of vehicle excise duty (VED) in Great Britain are shown in the table.
	
		
			  1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 Cost of administering VED (£ million) 100.2 103.3 110.5 
			 Number of officials (estimated) 2,100 2,200 2,300 
			 Salary costs (£ million) 34.6 36.4 39.3 
		
	
	The number of officials shown (full-time equivalents) is an estimate, based on the apportionment of the total Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) staff. The collection of VED is integrated with the registration of vehicles and the ongoing maintenance of the vehicle register. Staff involved are not dedicated wholly to registration or licensing activities. The number of officials figures do not include non-DVLA staff working at post offices involved in VED collection and vehicle registration.
	The DVLA staff are located at the headquarters in Swansea and at 40 local offices spread throughout Great Britain.

Signage

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if, in the final draft of the TSRGD, he will ban from the trunk road network local government boundary signs welcoming motorists to towns or cities that they are still some distance from.

David Jamieson: We have no plans to do so. The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD) make no distinction between boundary signs on trunk roads and other all-purpose roads. We consulted last year on proposals to allow the signing of local authority administrative boundaries including district councils that take their name from a town within the district, and the responses have generally been in favour. Decisions on particular signs on the trunk road network will be taken in the light of local circumstances.

Signage

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will provide for the marking of the historic county boundaries in the United Kingdom within the final draft of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions;
	(2)  if he will make regulations under section 64 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for the erection and maintenance of suitable traffic signs to mark the boundaries of the historic counties of the United Kingdom where they cross motorways and class A and B roads; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: This would not be appropriate. Traffic signs are provided for safe and efficient traffic management and should inform road users about current road conditions.

Road Accidents

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of (a) road accidents and (b) fatal road accidents occurred on minor single- carriageway roads in each of the past 20 years.

David Jamieson: The percentage of personal injury road accidents and of fatal road accidents on public roads in Great Britain which occurred on single-carriageway roads of B classification or below was as shown in the following table.
	
		
			   All injury accidents Fatal accidents 
		
		
			 1981 42 34 
			 1982 46 36 
			 1983 47 36 
			 1984 47 35 
			 1985 46 34 
			 1986 46 33 
			 1987 46 34 
			 1988 46 34 
			 1989 45 34 
			 1990 46 35 
			 1991 46 35 
			 1992 46 36 
			 1993 45 35 
			 1994 45 35 
			 1995 45 36 
			 1996 46 36 
			 1997 45 35 
			 1998 45 36 
			 1999 45 35 
			 2000 44 36 
			 2001 45 35

Road Accidents

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans the Government have to reduce the number of road accidents.

David Jamieson: The Government's wide-ranging road safety strategy is set out in "Tomorrow's roads—safer for everyone", published in March 2000. The strategy is aimed at delivering three road casualty reduction targets by 2010—each compared with the average for 1994 to 1998:
	a 40 per cent. reduction in deaths and serious injuries;
	a 50 per cent. reduction in child deaths and serious injuries; and
	a 10 per cent. reduction in the rate (by vehicles kilometres) of serious injuries.

Road Accidents

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the Government will commission a study to investigate ways of reducing the number of road accidents.

David Jamieson: My Department continues to commission a substantial amount of road and vehicle safety research into the many and various causes of accidents to inform our road safety strategy. A synopsis of recently completed and on-going projects, as well as new research, may be found in its publications:
	Road safety research: Compendium of projects 2001–02
	Vehicle standards and engineering research: Compendium of projects 2001–02.
	Copies of each publication have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Road Accidents

Robert Marshall-Andrews: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the trend of (a) fatalities and (b) child fatalities in traffic accidents in residential areas over the period 1997 to 2001.

David Jamieson: The numbers of fatalities on residential roads are shown in the following table. For this purpose, residential roads are defined as those with a speed limit of 40 mph or less and where street lighting is present.
	
		Fatalities from accidents on residential roads: Great Britain
		
			  Child Adult All(1) 
		
		
			 1997 137 1,190 1,327 
			 1998 110 1,125 1,237 
			 1999 115 1,162 1,285 
			 2000 116 1,142 1,264 
			 2001(2) 132 1,109 1,252 
		
	
	(1) Includes age not reported.
	(2) Provisional.

Road Accidents

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of research by the IPPR showing that children from socially excluded backgrounds are more likely to be involved in road collisions than children from other socio-economic groups; and what plans he has to take action to reduce road collisions affecting these children.

David Jamieson: We are aware of the work of the Institute of Public Policy Research in researching child pedestrian casualties and, while they have yet to report, know their preliminary findings.
	Our own research had already drawn similar conclusions. When the Road Safety Strategy, "Tomorrow's Roads—Safer for Everyone", was published in March 2000, it included challenging targets to reduce killed and seriously injured road casualties by 40 per cent. by 2010. Recognising the particular issue of child casualties, there is a specific, more stretching target, to reduce child killed and seriously injured casualties by 50 per cent. in the same time period. The strategy acknowledged that children in the lowest socio-economic group (SEG) are five times more likely to be killed as pedestrians than their higher SEG counterparts.
	Since child pedestrian casualties are a particular problem, we have begun a child pedestrian training project, making £10 million available to local authorities over five years, to improve practical roadside training. Deprivation is a significant factor in deciding which authorities are selected for this scheme. The results will be fully evaluated. The issues which suggest why children from the lowest SEG may be more vulnerable generally are complex and we are continuing to research them.

Wealden Line

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the electrification of the Wealden Line to be completed.

David Jamieson: holding answer 8 July 2002
	My right hon. Friend has accepted advice from the Strategic Rail Authority that there is currently no case for electrifying the Wealden Line, as the costs far outweigh the benefits. Equivalent passenger and operational benefits will be secured, significantly earlier, by introducing modern diesel trains to replace the 40-year-old trains currently operating services on the line. However, it is recognised that circumstances may change over time and the SRA therefore intends to secure a full electrification study after the new South Central franchise has run for five years.

Strategic Rail Authority

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if the salary of the chairman of the SRA counts as public spending;
	(2)  if capital spending by the SRA counts as Government capital spending.

David Jamieson: All SRA expenditure counts as public expenditure.

Strategic Rail Authority

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the Strategic Rail Authority will remain a public sector body.

David Jamieson: Yes.

Rail Infrastructure Investment

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the cost of infrastructure investment in the railways (a) before and (b) since privatisation.

David Jamieson: No direct comparison can be made between investment before and after privatisation due to the different nature of individual projects and the externalisation of costs (such as possessions and the cost of capital) that were previously internalised under British Rail.
	The Rail Regulator sets out the expected cost of infrastructure investment through the periodic review process.

Transport 10-year Plan

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has revised his forecasts for the growth in (a) passenger and (b) freight rail usage during the 10-year plan period.

David Jamieson: Forecasts for (a) rail passenger growth and (b) rail freight growth are set out in the 10-year plan for transport.

Railway Industry

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what progress has been made on the introduction of special purpose vehicles on Britain's railways; when the first is expected to begin; what timetable is proposed; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what changes have taken place to the (a) timetable and (b) levels of investment in connection with the special purpose vehicle being developed by Govia; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: Special purpose vehicles will be commercial entities aimed at securing third party investment in major infrastructure works on the railway. Several possible opportunities for the establishment of SPVs have been identified, but no SPVs are currently in place.

Rail Safety

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his policy on debris on railway lines.

David Jamieson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for North-East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt) on 8 July 2002, Official Report, columns 662–63W.

Rail Safety

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of safe limits on the number of passengers travelling in an individual railway carriage.

David Jamieson: There are no statutory limits on the numbers of passengers that can be carried on trains. The Health and Safety Executive, has advised that all rolling stock is designed to operate safely even when fully loaded.

London Underground

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what success fees are to be paid to the sponsors and advisers of Tube Lines on the signing of the PPP contract; what services have been provided in return for these fees; and what effect these fees will have on the equity return of Tube Lines;
	(2)  how much is to be paid to sponsors and advisors in development costs on the closing date of the London Underground PPP contract; how much is to be paid to lenders and loan insurers on that date and what arrangements have been made for payments to Bakerloo Central Victoria (sub-surface lines) on the same date; and why these payments are being made before the commitment for improving underground performance is met.

David Jamieson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the Member for Carshalton and Wallington (Tom Brake) on 4 July 2002, Official Report, columns 459–60W. Any success fees contained in the bids will only be recovered by bidders, as part of the ongoing, performance-related Infrastructure Service Charge, after they have first been verified by London Underground.

London Underground

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the scheduled journey time for each month, and for the period from 1 April to the end of each month, for each of the last three years, for the London Underground.

David Jamieson: holding answer 4 July 2002
	Detailed in-year operational information of this nature is a matter for London Underground (LU).
	The scheduled journey times (using LU's weighted measure) for each of the last three full financial years were:
	1999–2000—35.58 minutes
	2000–01—35.38 minutes
	2001–02—35.33 minutes.
	I understand from LU that the figures for scheduled journey times may fluctuate during the course of the year as a consequence of closures for engineering works and revisions to timetables.

London Underground

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of the London Underground network has a crowding ratio of actual passenger volumes to planned train capacity greater than 1 with regard to morning peak two way flows.

David Jamieson: holding answer 8 July 2002
	I refer to the answer which my right hon. Friend the Minister for Transport (Mr. Spellar) gave to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 5 December 2001 Official Report, column 378W.

Network Rail

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the financial statement for Network Rail will be consolidated in those for the Strategic Rail Authority.

David Jamieson: holding answer 8 July 2002
	The Comptroller and Auditor General, in his capacity as statutory auditor of the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), has concluded that Network Rail should be accounted for as a subsidiary of the SRA. This means that the financial accounts of Network Rail will be consolidated on a transparent and open basis within the balance sheet of the SRA.

Network Rail

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total liabilities on the balance sheet of the SRA will be if it underwrites the proposed finance for Network Rail; if he will list the liabilities on the SRA balance sheet; what the total value of assets held by the SRA is; and which SRA assets banks whose loans to Network Rail are underwritten by the SRA will hold charges against.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 27 June 2002, Official Report, columns 971–973. The assets of the SRA were outlined in its 2000–01 annual report and will be updated in its 2001–02 annual report to be published shortly.

Network Rail

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the legal status will be of the operating subsidiary of Network Rail, as described in the Minute to Parliament.

David Jamieson: This is a matter for Network Rail.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Arms Sales

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) overseas visits by Ministers in his Department and (b) visits to Ministers in the UK by overseas Government Ministers and officials have taken place in each of the last three years in which UK arms sales have been discussed.

Mike O'Brien: Information about Cabinet Ministers' overseas travel including the destination and purpose of each trip is published annually by the Cabinet Office. Copies of the lists covering the period 2 May 1997 to March 2001 are in the Libraries of the House. The list for the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002 is currently being assembled, and will be published in due course. Information about visits to Ministers in the UK by overseas Government Ministers and officials is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Russia

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what injuries were sustained by his Department's staff during the construction of the new Moscow embassy.

Mike O'Brien: As far as our records show, UK-based members of staff sustained a total of 17 injuries on the construction site of the new embassy in Moscow during the period August 1997 to December 1999. Injuries included cuts, sprains, bruises and one case of fracture. We do not have access to records of injuries caused to local construction workers, but there was one fatality.

Thailand

Albert Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 26 March, Official Report, column 814W, on Thailand, when a report on the action taken by the Thai police into the case was received; whether it explains why Mr. Sinnott's body was moved to Bangkok; and for what reason the British Consular Agent in Bangkok was not informed.

Mike O'Brien: The final report by the Thai police, detailing their investigation into the death of Peter Sinnott, has not yet been received. Our embassy in Bangkok is continuing to press the authorities for the report which we hope will deal with some of these issues.

Parliamentary Questions

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many oral questions he has transferred to other Departments in each of the last 18 months.

Jack Straw: According to our records, this Department has transferred out six oral questions to be answered by other Departments since June 2001.
	Oral questions are only transferred out when it is more appropriate for another Government Department to answer the question, and when the other Government Department has accepted that they should answer. Also, we normally only transfer out questions that are unlikely to be reached on the day of oral questions and that would therefore be given a written answer. Of the six questions transferred out, only one would have been answered orally. This was a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, West (Kevin Brennan) asking about the Ilisu Dam, which was transferred to the DTI for answer.

Macedonia

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of the Government of the FYR of Macedonia regarding membership of NATO.

Mike O'Brien: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed NATO issues with the Macedonian Foreign Minister on 22 May.
	We strongly support the enlargement of NATO to countries ready for the responsibilities of membership.

Zimbabwe

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the commitments are of the G8 regarding the situation in Zimbabwe.

Denis MacShane: At Kananaskis on 27 June the G8 agreed that they would focus their development efforts "on cultures that demonstrate a political and financial commitment to good governance and the rule of law, investing in their people and pursuing policies that spur economic growth and alleviate poverty".

Zimbabwe

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British passport holders in Zimbabwe have a right of entry into the UK.

Mike O'Brien: There are approximately 26,000 British nationals registered with the High Commission in Harare. The overall size of the British community is estimated to be up to 40,000. The majority of these are British citizens who have right of abode in the UK and therefore enjoy unrestricted entry into this country.

India

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Bolton, South-East (Dr. Iddon) of 10 June 2002, Official Report, column 814W, on India, if he will make a statement on the effect of the disturbances in Gujarat on British citizens and their relatives; and what further assistance the High Commission has given them.

Mike O'Brien: The violence in Gujarat which began on 28 February 2002 has now largely stopped. There were two reported British deaths from communal violence in June. However the situation is still tense in some urban and rural areas. We are continually monitoring the situation and ensure that our travel advice is always up to date.
	Consular staff in India and London will continue to offer all possible assistance that it properly can to relatives and to all British nationals affected by the disturbances, though the British Consulate in Bombay has not received any such requests in recent months.
	We remain in close contact with the Indian authorities over the safety of British nationals in Gujurat.

General Affairs Council

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcome was of the General Affairs Council held on 17 and 18 June; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary attended the June meeting of the General Affairs Council.
	The Council took note of the resolutions, decisions and opinions adopted by the European Parliament at its May part sessions in Strasbourg and Brussels (Documents 9076–02 and 9316–02).
	The Council adopted the 'A' points listed in Document 9830–02.
	Copies of these documents have been placed in the Library of the House.
	Progress of work in other council configurations
	The Council took note of work under way in other configurations of the Council on the basis of a presidency progress report, in particular noting the importance of the political agreement reached on the 'pension funds directive', as well as the final adoption of the Framework Decision on the European arrest warrant.
	Preparation of the Seville European Council
	The Council discussed measures to prepare the Council for enlargement, on the basis of a report by the presidency and the Council Secretary-General. This set out proposals for consideration by the Seville European Council on the preparation, organisation and conduct of the European Council, the structure of Council formations, improvements to the functioning of the presidency and greater transparency in the Council's legislative activity. The UK supported the broad direction of the Presidency's proposals.
	The Council discussed the EU's strategy in preparation for the World summit on sustainable development in Johannesburg. The Council agreed on the need for the EU to continue to be proactive, to show leadership and to take initiatives to contribute to a successful outcome at the summit. The UK strongly agreed. The Council agreed Conclusions setting out the EU's position, to be forwarded to the Seville European Council.
	The Council took note of the contributions submitted to the Seville European Council by the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 13 June and discussed several aspects of immigration policy, in preparation for discussion at Seville. The debate focused in particular on how to co-operate with third countries against illegal immigration.
	In discussion of enlargement, the Council reached agreement on a framework for handling the issue of direct payments which will be incorporated in the EU common positions on agriculture. This noted that,
	"In accordance with the timeframe agreed in Goteborg and Laeken, this decision [on direct payments] will be taken in due time to comply with the steps and timetable to be agreed in the Seville European Council in relation with the final phase of the enlargement negotiations, and without prejudging the forthcoming internal discussions on Community policies." Middle East
	Over lunch, Ministers discussed recent developments in the Middle East and the way ahead, in preparation for further discussion at Seville.
	India—Pakistan
	Over lunch, Ministers discussed the tensions between India and Pakistan. While welcoming recent improvements, they noted that the situation nevertheless remained precarious.
	EU Special Representatives—Afghanistan
	The Council agreed on the nomination of Francesc Vendrell as the next EU Special Representative for Afghanistan to succeed Klaus-Peter Klaiber, whose mandate expires on 30 June 2002.
	ESDP
	The Council approved a general framework for the financing of EU operations having military or defence implications. This framework covers two types of costs:
	common costs, i.e. costs that cannot be allotted to individual states taking part in an operation. This covers a number of costs for headquarters for EU-led operations (e.g. transport costs, administration, communications, transportation/travel, barracks and lodging/infrastructure) and for supporting the operational force as a whole (such as infrastructure);
	all other costs, which will be considered individual and financed on a 'costs-lie where they fall' basis.
	The Council agreed to decide on a case-by-case basis whether transportation of the forces, barracks and lodging for the forces would be funded in common.
	A full review of this framework will take place after a first operation is concluded or by June 2004, or earlier if necessary, taking into account the lessons learnt from conduct of any operations and their administration.
	Iran
	The Council adopted Conclusions restating its support for the process of reform in Iran and its willingness to strengthen relations between the EU and Iran. The Council reached political agreement on negotiating directives for a trade and co-operation agreement with Iran, which would be linked to separate instruments on political dialogue and counter-terrorism. The Council stressed that the launching of negotiations and progress in matters of concern, such as human rights, non- proliferation and counter-terrorism, will contribute to strengthening dialogue and co-operation. The Union sees progress in all these areas as interdependent, indissociable and mutually reinforcing elements of the EU's overall approach to EU-Iran relations. Western Balkans
	The Council heard presentations from High Representative Solana on the implementation of the Serbia and Montenegro agreement and from EU Special Representative Le Roy on the situation in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. It adopted Conclusions: welcoming progress in implementing the Serbia and Montenegro agreement; recalling the importance of the FRY's international obligations, including to the ICTY; supporting UNMIK's work in Kosovo and its co-operation with Macedonia on the 2001 border agreement; underlining the importance of a free and fair election campaign in Macedonia. The Council thanked the departing Bosnia High Representative, Ambassador Wolfgang Petritsch, for his efforts and congratulated Lord Ashdown on taking up his functions as new High Representative and EU Special Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Council welcomed the fact that the work on the negotiating mandate for a stabilisation and association agreement with Albania had been concluded. The mandate will be adopted and negotiations opened after the summer, depending on further progress on the reform agenda and political stability.
	Zimbabwe
	The Council adopted Conclusions expressing deep concern at the deterioration of the situation. The European Union believes that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has an important role to play and will seek to build an enhanced dialogue with the SADC and other relevant international actors.
	International Criminal Court (ICC)
	The Council adopted Conclusions, recalling its Common Position on the ICC and welcoming the forthcoming entry into force of the ICC statute on 1 July. The EU expressed its concern about the draft US legislation which would restrict US participation in UN peacekeeping operations, prohibit transfer of information to the ICC or prohibit US military assistance to parties to the ICC.

Afghanistan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people were taken prisoners in Kunduz since November 2001; when these arrests took place; what the nationality of these people was; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: We have asked about this but the relevant authorities in Kabul have told us that there is no accurate information available on the number of prisoners taken at Kunduz or of their nationalities.

Afghanistan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many prisoners-of-war were transported from Kunduz to (a) Sheberghan and (b) Mazar-i-Sharif since November 2001; when these transports took place; what the nationality was of the transported people; and if he will make a statement

Mike O'Brien: We have made inquiries but the relevant authorities in Afghanistan have said to us that there is no accurate information available on the transfer of prisoners of war from Kunduz to Sheberghan and Mazar-i-Sharif.

Korea

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to improve diplomatic relations between North Korea and South Korea following recent incidents.

Denis MacShane: The United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission, of which the UK is a member, is investigating the recent confrontation between the naval forces of the DPRK and the Republic of Korea.
	We maintain links with the Governments of both countries through our embassies in Seoul and Pyongyang, and we strongly encourage the preservation of regional stability, and the promotion of inter-Korean relations through a process of dialogue.

Visas

Mike Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when normal visa services will resume at posts in (a) New Delhi, (b) Mumbai, (c) Islamabad and (d) Karachi, and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: In India, we continue to operate a full service in Chennai and Kolkata and the service in Mumbai and New Delhi continues to expand. But it is too early to say when a full service there can resume.
	Because of the continuing terrorist threat, an early resumption of a full service in Pakistan is unlikely, although every effort is being made to maximise the number of applicants who can use the courier-assisted service.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

End-of-life Vehicles

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the cost to (a) local authorities in London and (b) all other local authorities if the European End of Life Vehicle Directive is implemented with the cost of (i) de-pollution, (ii) recycling and (iii) scrapping of the vehicle being placed on the last owner;
	(2)  what plans she has to fund the costs of removing abandoned vehicles by local authorities.

Brian Wilson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Carlisle (Mr. Martlew) on 21 June 2002, Official Report, column 592W.

Fuel Companies

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps Ofgem is taking to ensure that fuel companies offer fuel efficiency advice in line with their Social Action Plan at the point when salesmen contact customers with a view to transferring.

Brian Wilson: Current supply licence conditions require suppliers to prepare, and seek Ofgem approval of, a code of practice setting out how they will make energy efficiency advice available to customers. It is not a formal licensing requirement to do this in discussions over transfer from one supplier to another.
	Ofgem has recently published its "Report on the quality of energy efficiency advice provided by gas and electricity suppliers", which concluded that all the companies could do more to help customers. Ofgem will be discussing the report with suppliers and considering the need for further action to ensure that companies meet their licence obligations in this area.
	As regards marketing by gas and electricity suppliers, Ofgem has recently consulted on proposals to make the regulation of this activity more effective. Ofgem is currently considering the next steps, including areas of possible research.

Fuel Companies

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  how many times consumers have been compensated by fuel companies, following erroneous transfers, in line with licence condition 48; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps Ofgem has taken to ensure that fuel companies are training their marketing staff to ensure that they are not misleading customers, in line with licence condition 48.

Brian Wilson: These are matters for the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem). I have, therefore, written to the chairman and chief executive of Ofgem, setting out the questions raised and asking him to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the level of representation by members of small businesses on the boards of Government-funded organisations charged with supporting SMEs.

Nigel Griffiths: The Small Business Council advises my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and Chief Executive of the Small Business Service on the needs and concerns of SMEs. As of 1 July it has 23 members, all but one are from small businesses.
	The Ethnic Minority Business Forum advises DTI Ministers and the Chief Executive of the Small Business Service on the right help and advice ethnic minority businesses need for growth and success. All 20 members are small business owners.
	The Business Link Operators have an average of 55 per cent. SME representation on their boards.
	The Small Business Service's new Strategy Board will include up to six non-executive independent members. At least two members will have a small business background.

Used Tyres

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the work of the joint Government/Industry Scrap Tyre Working Group since July 1999; and what the most recent figure is for the percentage of scrapped tyres from which the industry recovers value.

Brian Wilson: The Used Tyre Working Group (UTWG) publishes a report each year which is distributed to interested parties and made available through its website at www.tyredisposal.co.uk. The latest report is dated July 2001 and copies have been placed in the Library of the House. The UTWG intends to publish its 2002 report later in the year in light of responses to the DTI's March 2002 discussion paper on used tyre issues. Copies of this paper can also be found in the Libraries of the House.
	UTWG statistics for 2000 show that the industry recovered value from around 63 per cent. of the 450,000 tonnes of tyres disposed that year. This was less than in previous years due to the closure of the UK's single largest used tyre treatment facility in 2000. Since then, significant new processing capacity has been developed. The UTWG is currently compiling statistics for 2001 which are expected to show this processing capacity feeding through to an improved recovery rate.

Aggregates Industry

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people are employed in the United Kingdom aggregates industry.

Brian Wilson: The Quarrying/Aggregates industry directly employs around 20,000 people.

Bolda Biofuels Ltd.

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money has been granted by her Department to Bolda Biofuels Ltd. in the last three years, under what grant regime, on what date, for what purpose it was granted; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: The following projects involving Border Biofuels have been supported under the Department's Sustainable Energy Programme in the last three years:
	
		
			  Project title  Contract grant Start dateValue (£)End date Total cost of project (£) Percentage of funding from DTI  DTI spend(3) (£) 
		
		
			 SRC Harvesting and Logistics—Phase 2 25 February 2002 133,519 24 February 2004 267,038 50 0 
			
			 Integrated Biofuels, Pyrolysis and Energy Conversion Demonstration Plant 9 January 2001 1,161,300 8 July 2003 4,645,100 25 321,620 
			
			 Investigation of Low-till Systems for the Establishment of Willow Coppice in Grassland 1 January 2001 76,500 28 February 2003 153,000 50 47,657 
			
			 Investigation of Single Stem Tree Plantations for Bioenergy 1 April 2001 29,500 30 June 2002 59,000 50 11,458 
			
			 Development of an Integrated Wood Fuel Supply System to Deliver SRC from Field to Power Station 15 March 2000 173,041 31 July 2002 346,082 50 154,671 
			 Overcoming Planning Barriers for Biomass Power Plants 6 August 1999 80,000 1 September 1999 80,000 100 80,000 
			
			 The Effects of Pollution Abatement Techniques Applied to Biomass Pyrolysis Energy Plant 21 July 1999 42,654 31 August 2000 60,935 70 42,654 
			
			 Provision of Site Services in Aid of Ecological Monitoring 15 February 1999 20,867 14 February 2004 20,867 100 20,387 
			
			 Evaluation of Low-cost Establishment Systems for Short Rotation Coppice 1 January 1999 211,560 30 June 2003 391,120 50 170,856 
			
			 The Export of UK Bio-Energy Expertise: A Study of the Feasibility of Working in Poland by a Consortium of UK Companies 1 January 1999 14,776 31 December 2000 36,940 40 14,776 
			
			 Design Construction and Testing of a Continuous Flow Wood Fuel Dryer Using Low Grade Heat 1 March 1998 270,870 30 September 2000 816,365 33 270,870 
		
	
	(3) To date

Employment Agencies

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she expects consultations to begin on draft regulations to prohibit the compilation of worker blacklists by employment agencies for the purposes of discrimination in relation to recruitment and the treatment of workers already employed.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 3 July 2002
	No date has been set for the commencement of consultations on such draft regulations.

North-West Development Agency

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many jobs in (a) the north-west, (b) Lancashire and (c) Burnley have been (i) created and (ii) sustained in the last year as a direct result of the work of the north-west development agency.

Alan Johnson: During 2001–02, 14,655 jobs were created, and 14,868 jobs were safeguarded, across the north-west as a result of the work of the north-west development agency. Of these, 1,651 jobs were created, and 1,684 jobs safeguarded, in Lancashire; and 593 jobs were created, and 311 jobs safeguarded, in Burnley during the same period.

Construction Industry

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her answer of 17 April 2002, Official Report, column 936W, on the construction industry, which organisations have made representations; what progress has been made to resolve concerns raised about the operation of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: I have received correspondence from a number of MPs, who have written on behalf of companies, about the operation of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS Ltd.). Representations to the Department, are generally held to have been received in confidence and I have no plans to disclose details of correspondence made to me about CSCS Ltd., an independent private company.
	As regards the question on progress made to resolve concerns raised about the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS), I understand from CSCS that discussions are on-going with the various associations about affiliation and the Department is being kept informed of developments.

Regional Development Agencies

Debra Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what level of her Department's funding of RDAs was spent on physical regeneration in financial years (a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02.

Alan Johnson: In 2000–01, the RDAs had a number of programmes that could contribute to physical regeneration. None of the DTI's funding for RDAs was for this purpose. The reported spending on "Land and Property", the RDAs' main programme that includes physical regeneration, by the RDAs was £171.98 million (gross spend).
	For 2001–02, final figures on spending by the RDAs on physical regeneration are not yet available; figures for the "Land and Property" programme will be published in the RDAs annual report.

Regional Development Agencies

Debra Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many registered (a) architects and (b) chartered surveyors are working in each regional development agency.

Alan Johnson: There are two registered architects working for the Regional Development Agencies, both with Yorkshire Forward. A total of 131 chartered surveyors are employed by the Agencies and this figure is broken down as follows:
	
		
			  Area  
		
		
			 Advantage West Midlands 13 
			 East of England Development Agency 6 
			 East Midlands Development Agency 10 
			 North West Development Agency 25 
			 One NorthEast 23 
			 South East of England Development Agency 14 
			 South West of England Development Agency 24 
			 Yorkshire Forward 16

Brownfield Development

Debra Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the projected amount of brownfield land to be redeveloped is, broken down by regional development agencies.

Alan Johnson: RDAs were required to set targets for the amount of brownfield land they will remediate in 2002–03 and 2003–04. These targets are set out in the following table:
	
		Hectares 
		
			 Agency 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 North-east 80 60 
			 North-west 442 602 
			 Yorkshire Forward 86 127 
			 East Midlands 119 125 
			 West Midlands 299 468 
			 East 20 20 
			 South-east 40 43 
			 South-west 140 140 
			 London 30 30

Waste Disposal

Debra Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the vitrification process; and what studies the Department has undertaken of its validity as a form of disposal.

Brian Wilson: Vitrification converts liquid high level radioactive waste into a solid and stable form. The Department has undertaken no studies of vitrification.

Industrial Training Construction Board

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to review the Industrial Training (Construction Board) Order 1964, amended by The Industrial Training (Construction Board) Order 1964 (Amendment) Order 1992 in respect of the Construction Industry Training Board levy; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: I have been asked to reply.
	The Industrial Training (Construction Board) Order 1964 (Amendment) Order 1992 defines the activities of the construction industry in relation to which the Construction Industry Training Board exercises its functions. The definition was decided in full consultation with the industry through its main employer organisations and would only be reviewed if it was felt necessary or desirable to remove an activity from the scope of the Board. I have not received any proposals from any part of the industry to amend the definition.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Performance Targets

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many performance targets she has set for her Department; and how many that were set for last year have been dropped this year.

David Miliband: The Department's performance targets are set out in Public Service Agreements (PSA) agreed as part of Spending Reviews and are published in Spending Review White Papers, available from the House of Commons Library; or from the Treasury website at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk. The most recent targets were agreed as part of the Spending Review 2000; we have not dropped any of these. However, employment related targets transferred to the Department for Work and Pensions following machinery of government changes after the last general election.
	Performance against our PSAs and other high level supporting targets is published in our departmental annual report, available from the House of Commons library or via our website, www.dfes.gov.uk.

Schools (Shrewsbury and Atcham)

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) pupils and (b) teachers there are in each school in Shrewsbury and Atcham; and if she will make a statement.

David Miliband: The available information is shown in the following table. This relates to numbers of pupils published in the Primary and Secondary School Performance Tables for 2001. Otherwise, school level information is not routinely published.
	
		Number of pupils on roll in schools(4) in Shrewsbury and Atcham
		
			  Total pupils 
		
		
			 Maintained primary schools  
			 Buildwas Primary School 84 
			 Church Preen Primary School 73 
			 Grafton Primary School 40 
			 Minsterley Primary School 150 
			 Coleham Primary School 393 
			 Crowmoor Primary School 335 
			 Mount Pleasant Junior School 158 
			 Harlescott Junior School 374 
			 St. George's Junior School 353 
			 Meole Brace Junior School 193 
			 The Wilfred Owen School 239 
			 Oakland Community Primary School 117 
			 Belvidere Primary School 228 
			 Greenfields Primary School 328 
			 The Martin Wilson School 217 
			 Radbrook Primary School 272 
			 Bicton Church of England Primary School 87 
			 Christ Church Church of England Primary School 133 
			 St. Andrew's Church of England Primary School 72 
			 Hadnall Church of England Primary School 62 
			 Longnor Church of England Primary School 87 
			 Pontesbury Church of England Primary School 203 
			 Bomere Heath Church of England Primary School 105 
			 Oxon Church of England Primary School 349 
			 St. Giles Church of England Primary School 300 
			 St. Lucia's Church of England Primary School 129 
			 St. Thomas and St. Anne Church of England Primary School 134 
			 Long Meadow Church of England Primary School 336 
			 Trinity Church of England Primary School 129 
			 Condover Church of England Primary School 102 
			 Dorrington Church of England (Aided) Primary School 58 
			 Longden Church of England Primary School 97 
			 Westbury St Mary's Church of England (Aided) School 99 
			 St. Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School 141 
			 Holy Cross Church of England Junior School 303 
			 The Grange Junior School 212 
			 Greenacres Primary School 260 
			 Maintained secondary schools  
			 The Priory School 739 
			 The Wakeman School 661 
			 Sundorne School 446 
			 Belvidere School 747 
			 Meole Brace School 1144 
			 The Mary Webb School 573 
			 The Grange School 579 
			   
			 Special schools  
			 Severndale 201 
			 RNIB Condover Hall School 63 
			   
			 Independent schools  
			 Adcote School for Girls 86 
			 Concord College 292 
			 Cruckton Hall School 55 
			 Shewsbury High School 577 
			 Shewsbury School 696 
			 The Orchard School 7 
		
	
	(4) Only includes schools which have pupils eligible for Key Stage 2 tests or pupils aged 15 and for whom results are published in the Primary and Secondary Performance Tables. The Primary Performance Tables only include maintained primary schools with Key Stage 2 eligible pupils. Independent schools and infant schools are therefore excluded.
	Source:
	2001 Primary and Secondary Performance Tables.

Amraf Training plc

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations she has received concerning the closure of Amraf Training plc and payments to it by her Department.

Ivan Lewis: Administrative receivers were appointed to Amraf Training plc on 1 October 2001. To 28 June 2002, the Department has received 66 representations concerning the closure. Details of any payments made by the Department to Amraf Training plc are held as commercial in confidence.

Recycling

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of (a) paper and (b) other goods purchased by her Department was recycled paper in each year since 1997; what the annual total cost of these purchases was; what plans there are to increase these proportions; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Twigg: My Department changed stationery supplier in December last year because our previously contracted supplier ceased trading. As a result, we have been unable to obtain accurate data concerning the annual total cost of purchases. Mechanisms are now in place to ensure that this information will be available in future.

Green Minister

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills who her Department's Green Minister is; when they (a) have attended and (b) plan to attend meetings of the Green Ministers' Committee; what the outcomes of meetings were for her Department's activities; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Twigg: Our Green Minister is Baroness Ashton of Upholland.
	Following the general election in June 2001, the previously informal Green Ministers Committee was upgraded to a Cabinet Sub-Committee of ENV and it is established practice under exemption two of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information not to disclose information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees. Therefore I cannot relate progress or outcomes by my Department to anything that has been discussed.
	However, I am happy to confirm my Department's commitment to promoting sustainable development, including green issues. Our departmental strategy to 2006 mentions sustainable development in relation to our investment strategy for schools, colleges and universities and in the modernisation of the Department's estate.

Rural Secondary Schools

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what (a) environmental assessment and (b) assessment of the traffic implications she has made with respect to the specialisation of secondary schools in rural areas.

David Miliband: holding answer 4 July 2002
	No assessment has been made of environmental or traffic implications of specialisation for secondary schools in rural areas. We do not expect specialist school designation to have a significant impact on transport in rural areas. Specialist school designation is about raising standards of achievement across the whole school. Specialist schools enrich the learning opportunities and broaden the range of courses in their designated specialism, but they continue to teach a broad and balanced curriculum and meet the needs of all their pupils.

Rural Secondary Schools

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the extent of specialisation of secondary schools in rural areas.

David Miliband: holding answer 4 July 2002
	Of the 992 specialist schools to be operational from September this year, 21 (2.1 per cent.) are located in areas defined in the Register of Educational Establishments as mixed, predominantly rural or wholly rural areas. This compares with 2.8 per cent. of secondary schools nationally.
	From October 2002, in order to assist small mainstream schools (many of them in rural areas) with their specialist school applications we have reduced the sponsorship requirement. Those with under 500 pupils on roll will have to raise sponsorship on the basis of £100 per pupil, subject to a minimum of £20,000.

Buildings Insurance

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost of buildings insurance to her Department was (a) before and (b) after 11 September 2001.

Stephen Twigg: Departments are required to comply with the Government's general policy on insurance, which is set out in "Government Accounting", chapter 30, para 30.2.5, which notes that Government do not need to purchase insurance to protect the viability of its business, and should consider insurance only where the value of claims met would exceed the cost of insurance premiums. Commercial insurance of a building is acceptable in cases where (a) insurance is a condition of a lease (b) the lessor will not accept a Government indemnity (c) incurring the total cost of the accommodation in question, including the cost of the insurance, is more cost- effective than other accommodation options ("Government Accounting", para 30.2.11a).
	My Department building insurance, however, is paid on an annual basis, so any impact from September 11 has not been reflected as yet. The total insurance paid in 2001–02 was £121,171.

Building Values

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the buildings owned by her Department and estimate the market value of each of them.

Stephen Twigg: A list of the buildings owned by my Department and their estimated market value are detailed within the National Asset Register, published in July 2001 (Cm5221). This register lists all assets owed by Departments and their valuation.

Private Finance Initiative

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will provide detailed information on PFI schemes, withheld on the grounds of commercial confidentiality, to bona fide research bodies to make objective assessments of their value for money.

Stephen Twigg: My Department has no PFI schemes, which have been withheld on the grounds of commercial confidentiality.

Connexions

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the piloting of Connexions in rural areas.

Stephen Twigg: holding answer 5 July 2002
	Tackling rural issues was one of the aspects which was tested in the piloting of the Connexions Service, the results of which were published by the Department for Education and Skills in the 'Lessons Learned from Connexions Pilots' report on 17 October 2001 (Research Brief ref: RB 308, Research Report ref: RR308). The document is available in the House of Commons Library.
	We have also recently commissioned the University of Hull to conduct a study into the relative costs associated with delivering Connexions in rural and urban areas. This study will run from July to November 2002 with a report to be published by the Department for Education and Skills within three months of the completion of the field work. The findings of the study will help to inform a planned review of the Connexions funding arrangements due to be undertaken during 2003. All Connexions Partnerships have been informed of the study and are welcome to be involved where they feel that they have a particular contribution.
	The Connexions Service is also involved with the Countryside Agency's study developing practice in rural Connexions Partnerships. This study is at the commissioning stage, but we will in due course be disseminating examples of innovative approaches to help Partnerships deliver a high quality multi-agency support service to young people living in rural areas.

Diversity Pathfinder Scheme

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which local education authorities are taking part in the diversity pathfinder scheme.

David Miliband: holding answer 5 July 2002
	There are six Local Education Authorities involved in the Diversity Pathfinders Project. They are;
	1. Birmingham
	2. Cornwall
	3. Hertfordshire
	4. Middlesbrough
	5. Newham
	6. Portsmouth.
	Warwickshire and North Tyneside have been invited to join the project as they are implementing interesting plans to promote diversity in their regions. Their activities are not being funded by the DfES but they are involved in the associated research project.

LearnDirect Plus

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people have enrolled on LearnDirect Plus in West Derbyshire constituency since it began.

Ivan Lewis: 660 people have enrolled on learndirect courses in the West Derbyshire constituency since Ufi/learndirect was rolled out nationally in October 2000.

Post-16 Education

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment her Department has made of the percentages of pupils staying on in full-time education or training post-age 16 in (a) schools with sixth forms and (b) schools without sixth forms in the last period for which figures are available.

David Miliband: holding answer 8 July 2002
	The primary source of information on the changes in the activities of young people after completing compulsory education is the Youth Cohort Study (YCS). The following table shows details in the figures requested.
	
		
			   In full-time education or training post-age 16 
		
		
			 Comprehensive schools—with sixth form 86% 
			 Comprehensive schools—no sixth form 83% 
		
	
	These estimates are for England. Equivalent estimates for schools other than comprehensive schools are not available.

Formula Grant

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what plans she has to ensure that the costs associated with high pupil turnover in schools in London are compensated for (a) in the education service block in formula grant and (b) by specific grant.
	(2)  what plans she has to reflect the costs associated with educating children in areas of high ethnicity in (a) the education service block in formula grant and (b) by specific grant.
	(3)  what estimate she has made of the financial effect of changing the measure of ethnicity within the education formula grant from a country of birth indicator to an English as a second language indicator, broken down by local authority.
	(4)  what plans she has to redirect education funding to ensure that the Government's national child poverty targets are met.
	(5)  what plans she has to reflect problems associated with the recruitment and retention of teachers in London (a) in the education service block in formula grant and (b) by specific grant.
	(6)  what plans she has to reflect the costs of high population density in relation to school transport.
	(7)  what estimate she has made of the financial effect of changing the measure of ethnicity within the education formula grant from a country of birth indicator to school census data indicator, broken down by local authority.
	(8)  what plans she has to reflect the costs associated with educating children in areas of high social exclusion and deprivation (a) in the education service block in formula grant and (b) by specific grant.
	(9)  if she will make a statement concerning the impact of her proposed changes to the area cost adjustment on schools in London.

David Miliband: My right hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government announced today the issue of a consultation paper on options for reform of the distribution of grant to local authorities: copies have been placed in the Libraries. Within the consultation paper there are four options for reform of the education SSA formula. All these options have a common structure consisting of an amount per pupil together with top ups for areas of significant deprivation and areas where it costs more to recruit and retain staff. The options exemplify different measures of deprivation including children in families on income support or working families credit, children with English as an Additional Language, and children from ethnic minorities. The options do not include factors for high population density or high pupil turnover. The paper contains exemplifications of the changes to total SSA for 2002–03 that would result from each of the four options. It does not separately identify the contribution to change of each element of the formula, because it would not be meaningful to do so: nor does it identify the contribution of each element of the formula to the total. We will be making the data underlying the options available to interested parties, so that they may make a full contribution to the consultation. Decisions on specific grants will be announced following the spending review outcome.

London Academies

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the estimated timetable is for the opening of the proposed London academies; and if she will make a statement.

David Miliband: Academies will open this September in Haringey and Bexley. We expect more to open year on year with at least 25 London academies open by 2007. Academies are an important strand of the Government's drive to raise standards, improve behaviour and widen choice across London.

School Violence

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information the Government have collated on the number of teachers in maintained schools who have been the victims of serious assaults by (a) pupils and (b) parents in each of the last five years.

David Miliband: The Government do not collect statistics in the form requested. However, 135 serious injuries to teachers caused by violence were reported to the Health and Safety Executive in Great Britain in 2000–01, the same number as in 1999–2000. Statistics for earlier years are not available. The provisional figure for 2000–01 was 130. The figures, which relate to all schools and cannot be broken down further, cover major injuries and others resulting in more than three days' absence from work. Information is not available on whether the assaults were carried out by pupils, parents or others.

School Inspections

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools have been inspected or reinspected in each year since 1997 by Ofsted and of those how many (a) were found to have serious weaknesses; (b) were found to be failing, (c) were found to have moved from 'serious weakness' to 'failing', (d) were found to have moved from 'failing' to 'serious weakness', (e) were found no longer to have serious weaknesses and (f) were found no longer to be failing.

David Miliband: This is a matter for Ofsted. I have asked HM Chief Inspector, David Bell, to write to the hon. Member and to place a copy of his letter in the Library.

Local Education Authority Inspection

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many local education authorities have been inspected or reinspected in each year by Ofsted since 1997; and of those how many (a) were found to be failing, (b) were found to be failing on reinspection and (c) were found no longer to be failing.

David Miliband: This is a matter for Ofsted. I have asked HM Chief Inspector, David Bell, to write to the hon. Member and to place a copy of his letter in the Library.

PRIME MINISTER

Gibraltar

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Prime Minister for what reason he has declined to meet the Chief Minister of Gibraltar in the last three months; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: My diary commitments have meant a meeting has not been possible. I have encouraged the Chief Minister to continue his dialogue with my right hon. Friend's the Foreign Secretary and Minister for Europe. The Foreign Secretary met the Chief Minister on 3 May.

SCOTLAND

National Minimum Wage

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action is being taken against employers in Scotland who are failing to pay the national minimum wage.

Anne McGuire: Inland Revenue has specialist enforcement teams in Aberdeen and East Kilbride who are responsible for enforcing the national minimum wage in Scotland. The teams follow up complaints made by workers and third parties about non-compliance and use other Revenue risk based data to identify employers for inquiry. Since April 1999, the teams have issued 19 enforcement notices and 29 penalty notices, leading to recovery of over £600,000 in wage arrears for low paid workers.

National Minimum Wage

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps are being taken to ensure the enforcement of the national minimum wage in Scotland.

Anne McGuire: Inland Revenue enforcement teams in Aberdeen and East Kilbride are responsible for enforcing the national minimum wage in Scotland. Since April 1999, they have completed over 1,700 investigations, discovered non-compliance in 27 per cent. of cases and recovered over £620,000 in wage arrears for low paid workers.

Defence Employment

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many jobs in Scotland are (a) directly and (b) indirectly related to the defence industry.

Helen Liddell: Expenditure on defence equipment is estimated to support approximately 6,000 jobs in Scottish businesses directly and a further 3,000 jobs indirectly.

Aircraft Carriers (Employment Prospects)

Eric Joyce: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will estimate the number of potential defence related jobs in Scotland in connection with the two planned UK aircraft carrier contracts.

Helen Liddell: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence expects to announce decisions around the end of the year on the selection of the prime contractor for the new aircraft carriers. The carrier programme will provide work for thousands of employees in defence industries across the UK. Scottish shipyards have been involved in supplying support to both of the competing prime contractors and clearly have good opportunities to secure a share of the work.

Waverley Line

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions she has held with the chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority about the future of the Waverley line from Edinburgh to Carlisle.

Anne McGuire: I understand that the Waverley Railway Partnership recently launched a consultation process, which will run until the end of August, in conjunction with detailed technical assessments of the route to give the people of Midlothian, the Borders and Edinburgh an opportunity to comment on the re-establishment of the line.
	I hope to discuss a range of issues including the proposed reopening of the Waverley line when my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I meet senior management of Railtrack later this month.

Nuclear Energy

John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on the future of nuclear energy provision in Scotland.

Helen Liddell: The future role of nuclear energy in the UK is one of the issues included in the current consultation which follows the PIU review of energy policy to 2050 and which forms part of the preparation for a Government White Paper around the turn of the year.

Scottish Regiments

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Defence regarding the implications for Scotland of the future of Scottish regiments.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Newark (Patrick Mercer).

Enterprise

Iain Luke: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when she last met CBI Scotland to discuss enterprise in Scotland.

Helen Liddell: I attended a dinner with CBI Scotland's Growing Business Forum on 24 June, together with the Scottish Executive Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning, to discuss a range of issues relating to enterprise in Scotland.

Cross-border Road Links

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions she has had with the Scottish Executive on cross-border road links, with special reference to the A1.

Anne McGuire: I have regular discussions with Scottish Ministers on a variety of transport issues including cross-border road links. The Scottish Executive plan to upgrade the A1 to dual carriageway standard between Howburn and Houndwood in the Scottish Borders at a cost of nearly £5 million. Construction is due to start on 15 July and should be completed in 2003.

Euro

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent meetings she has had with business and industrial leaders regarding the impact on Scotland of the United Kingdom joining the euro.

Helen Liddell: I have regular meetings with businesses and industrial leaders to discuss a wide range of issues.
	The Government's policy on membership of the single currency remains as set out by the Chancellor in October 1997, and restated by the Prime Minister in February 1999.
	The five economic tests will define whether a clear and unambiguous case can be made.

Scottish Parliament

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when she plans to make a statement on the consultation process on the size of the Scottish Parliament.

Helen Liddell: I expect to be in a position to announce the outcome of the consultation on the size of the Scottish Parliament in the autumn.

Airports

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment she has made of the ability of Scotland's airport infrastructure to keep up with projected growth in passenger numbers.

Helen Liddell: The Government will, jointly with the Scottish Executive, very shortly publish a consultation document on the future of Scotland's air services and airports for the next 30 years. We intend to undertake an extensive consultation process. I hope that this will result in a productive debate on all aspects of the matter.

Drug Crime (Asset Seizures)

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on the action being taken to seize the assets of drug barons in Scotland.

Anne McGuire: Strengthening the powers to confiscate illegal gains, from drug dealing and also other serious crimes, is a priority for the Government. The Proceeds of Crime Bill will put in place an enhanced and effective system for seizing assets that have resulted from criminal activity.

Common Fisheries Policy

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on the European common fisheries policy as it affects Scotland.

Anne McGuire: Responsibility for fisheries policy in Scotland rests with the Scottish Executive.
	The European Commission has recognised that the Common Fisheries Policy is in need of reform. HM Government and the Scottish Executive are working together to ensure that the United Kingdom's and Scotland's interests are fully represented as member states discuss the Commission's reform proposals.

Asbestosis Compensation

Jim Sheridan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made in securing the payment of compensation to asbestosis victims in Scotland.

Helen Liddell: There continues to be good progress. In relation to Chester Street, over £3 million has now been paid out by the Association of British Insurers and the Financial Services Compensation Scheme in cases where the insurance policyholder is insolvent. In addition, the Government have welcomed the recent judicial decision by the House of Lords in relation to the Fairchild case.

Manufacturing

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will make a statement on the recent performance of the manufacturing industry in Scotland.

Anne McGuire: The manufacturing sector continues to be very important to the economy of Scotland, employing around 281,000 in December 2001 and supporting a further 180,000 jobs in the Scottish economy.

Oil and Gas Taxation

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to the oral answer of 11 June 2002, Official Report, column 708, on oil and gas taxation, what action she has taken to investigate the procedures for subcontracting work in the oil industry.

Helen Liddell: I take every opportunity in discussions with the oil and gas companies to underline the strengths of the UK supply and contracting industries. Provided that the UK supply and contracting industries can remain competitive in the European and global context I am confident that they will continue to win work.

Financial Exclusion

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when she next plans to meet representatives from credit unions in Scotland to discuss financial exclusion.

Anne McGuire: I am very aware of the importance of credit unions' role in tackling financial exclusion in Scotland and look forward to meetings with representatives. The Financial Services Authority commenced its new regulatory regime for credit unions at the beginning of July. This regime is in place to ensure that depositors are appropriately protected. The Scottish Executive have made available funding support which, among other aims, is designed to help unions adjust to the new arrangements.

ADVOCATE-GENERAL

European Law

Michael Connarty: To ask the Advocate-General what role she has in relation to challenges which are alleged to be contraventions of European law.

Lynda Clark: Court actions against the Scottish Executive or challenges to legislation of the Scottish Parliament alleging failure to comply with European law must be intimated to me as devolution issues. I then decide whether it would be appropriate for me, as Advocate-General, to intervene. That will depend on the facts and circumstances of each case.

European Convention on Human Rights

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Advocate-General what representations she has received in the previous month relating to possible breaches of rights within the scope of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Lynda Clark: In the past month 22 devolution issues, intimated to me in terms of the Scotland Act, have concerned matters under the European Convention on Human Rights. I have received no other representations about the ECHR.

Devolution

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Advocate-General what devolution issues have been raised with her since 11 June.

Lynda Clark: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Harris).

Devolution

Alan Reid: To ask the Advocate-General what devolution issues have been raised since 11 June under the Scotland Act 1998.

Lynda Clark: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Harris).

Devolution

Malcolm Savidge: To ask the Advocate-General what devolution issues have been raised since 11 June under the Scotland Act 1998.

Lynda Clark: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Harris).

Devolution

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General what devolution issues have been raised since 11 June under the Scotland Act 1998.

Lynda Clark: I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Harris).

LORD CHANCELLOR

Census 1901 Website

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the 1901 online census service will be fully functional.

Rosie Winterton: I cannot give a firm date when the 1901 Census will be fully functional. However I can state that QinetiQ Ltd., who are the contractors responsible for setting up the site and providing the online service, have been making technical improvements to it. QinetiQ Ltd. is currently testing the site and the Public Record Office is also carrying out its own independent test programme. Once the final results of these tests are available, it will be possible to decide whether the service is sufficiently robust for it to go live. The final testing is under way and we anticipate that it will be completed by the end of July.

Census 1901 Website

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the 1901 Census Online is expected to be available at service centres; and at what date he expects that internet access will be restored to the Census.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on this day to the hon. Member for Mitcham and Morden (Siobhain McDonagh).

Mental Incapacity

Paul Burstow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to implement the proposals in Making Decisions; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Government remain committed to reforming this important area of the law. When parliamentary time allows, it will legislate to improve and clarify the decision-making process for those who are unable to make decisions for themselves or who cannot communicate their decisions. In advance of securing parliamentary time, the Government are taking forward a number of initiatives that will benefit people, and enable legislation to be effective quickly. We are supported in this work by our recently established Consultative Forum on Mental Incapacity, involving a wide range of stakeholders, to develop a shared understanding of how we can best improve the lives of people with mental incapacity and their carers.

Mental Incapacity

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what measures she is taking to protect people with mental incapacity in the courts system.

Rosie Winterton: The Government are working with the Consultative Forum on Mental Incapacity to develop a shared understanding of how we can best improve the lives of people with mental incapacity and their carers, and we remain committed to reforming this area of law.
	Also, in civil proceedings the Official Solicitor can act on behalf of parties with mental incapacity. Guidance has been issued to court staff in the Crown and county courts on the service they should provide under the Disability Discrimination Act.

Rape

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will take steps to draw the attention of the Judicial Studies Board to the comments about rape trials made in the HMIC/CPSI Thematic report on rape; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Judicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial Studies Board (JSB) chaired by Lord Justice Waller.
	The board provides specialist training to those judges authorised to hear cases of rape through its regular Serious Sexual Offences Seminars.
	The Criminal Committee of the JSB will be considering the comments made in the joint inspectors report over the coming months.

Transsexuals

Kali Mountford: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what progress has been made with the review of the law relating to transsexuals; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Chapman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the inter-departmental working group on transsexual people.

Rosie Winterton: The Inter-departmental Working Group on Transsexual People's Report was presented to Parliament in 2000. The report has been under active consideration within Government since then. The working group has now been reconvened to look further into the implications of the possible changes in policy identified in the report. The group will report to Ministers later this year.

Electoral Register

Chris Bryant: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to make copies of the marked electoral register more widely available.

Yvette Cooper: We are reviewing the legislation relating to the current availability of the marked electoral registers in the light of the Representation of the People (Amendment) Regulations which the House has been asked to approve. In reaching any conclusion the Government will in addition wish to take account of the Electoral Commission's review of absent voting.

Sheriffs

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will make a statement on her review of Under High Sheriffs, Under Sheriffs and Sheriffs' High Court enforcement functions.

Yvette Cooper: The review of High Court enforcement is part of the comprehensive review of the enforcement of civil court judgments which has been going on since 1998. On May 8, 2002, my noble Friend Baroness Scotland of Asthal, QC, announced the publication of the post-consultation report for the Green Paper "Towards Effective Enforcement—A single Piece of Bailiff Law and Regulatory Structure for Enforcement" (set out in her reply of 8 May 2002, Official Report, column 1242).

Court Dress

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to her answer of 24 June, Official Report, column 713W, on wigs, if she intends to canvass the views of all members of the legal profession in connection with her review of court dress.

Rosie Winterton: The Lord Chancellor will publish a formal consultation document on court working dress, informed by the results of the public opinion survey, later this year. The views of all members of the legal professions will be welcomed, but the consultation will be public and we hope other interested parties, such as the general public, court users, judges and court staff, will also respond.

Fines

Nick Gibb: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of fine- defaulters were in full-time employment since 1990.

Yvette Cooper: This information is currently not collected centrally but we are examining whether it would be possible by research or sampling to estimate the data requested, as well as new ways to collect information on defendants' means.

Fines

Nick Gibb: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of fine- defaulters in full-time employment had attachment of earnings orders imposed in each year since 1990.

Yvette Cooper: This information is currently not collected centrally but we are examining whether it would be possible by research or sampling to estimate the data requested. This department has commissioned research into the can't pay/won't pay divide. The outcome of that research will inform future enforcement policy. In addition we are considering new ways to collect information on defendants' means.

Fines

Norman Baker: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he is taking to ensure fines handed out by magistrates are subsequently collected.

Yvette Cooper: Fines are imposed by both Magistrates' Courts and the Crown Court, but all are collected by Magistrates' Courts and their staff.
	The Government is committed to improving the enforcement of financial penalties. We have transferred lead responsibility for warrant execution from the police to Magistrates' Courts Committees, on 1 April 2001. We have established an information-sharing scheme, which enables Magistrates' Courts to obtain basic information on defaulters from the Department for Work and Pensions. We have set performance targets for 2002–3 and Magistrates' Courts Committees have also been given nearly £10 million extra from April 2002, ring-fenced for enforcement purposes. Further measures are being developed as part of the Criminal Justice White Paper. We will monitor the position carefully to check that performance improves.

Fines

Nick Gibb: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of fine- defaulters had one or more county court judgments against them in each year since 1990.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not kept centrally.

Child Contact Centres

Paul Burstow: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the mapping exercise of child contact centres (a) started and (b) is expected to be completed; how many whole-time equivalent staff are working on the mapping exercise; and what budget is provided for the mapping exercise.

Rosie Winterton: The work is being carried out under the auspices of the Child Contact Working Group, which is facilitated by the Lord Chancellor's Department. The mapping exercise forms part of the working group's consultation on a new referral mechanism to ensure families are directed to the service that meets their needs. The consultation was launched on 11 May and concludes in October. The mapping exercise will initially be conducted in three areas—Inner London, Manchester and Norfolk. Currently, two LCD staff support the work on a part-time basis. There is no specific budget for the working group, but expenses are paid to members.

Statistics

David Laws: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will list the statistics that are collected by her Department by English parliamentary constituency; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the letter sent to him by the National Statistician dated 8 July 2002.

Solicitors

Keith Vaz: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans she has to meet the Independent Commissioner who will deal with complaints against solicitors.

Rosie Winterton: Sir Stephen Lander's appointment as the Law Society's first Independent Commissioner has recently been announced. Ministers look forward to meeting him after he takes up his new post overseeing the Law Society's Consumer Redress Scheme in November 2002.

Solicitors

Keith Vaz: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the backlog of cases is at the Office of Supervision of Solicitors.

Rosie Winterton: The most recent progress report from the Law Society shows that as at 31 May 2002, the total outstanding caseload at the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors was 8,255.

Judiciary (Northern Ireland)

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many complaints he has received since April 1998 concerning the conduct in Northern Ireland of individual (a) judges, (b) officers of tribunals and (c) resident magistrates.

Rosie Winterton: I apologise for the delay in providing this reply which is due to an administrative oversight. There have been three complaints concerning the conduct of members of the judiciary in Northern Ireland since 1998.
	(a) Judges—1 complaint was received concerning a High Court Master in 2001
	(b) Tribunals—no complaints have been received
	(c) Resident Magistrates—2 complaints have been received concerning Resident Magistrates in 1998 and 2000.

Queen's Counsel

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he plans to issue his consultation document in response to the OFT report on the reform of the QC system.

Rosie Winterton: The Queen's Counsel system is one of a number of issues relating to the legal profession raised in the OFT report, which fall to my Noble and Learned Friend the Lord Chancellor to consider. The Government plans to consult on those issues before 30 July.

PRIVY COUNCIL

Parliamentary Questions

Peter Luff: To ask the President of the Council what plans he has to implement the recommendations of the Procedure Committee on parliamentary questions.

Robin Cook: I broadly welcome the Report on Parliamentary Questions. The Procedure Committee is to be congratulated on their thorough study. The recommendations are far-reaching and justify careful study. It may be sensible for the House to debate this at the same time as the parallel report from the Modernisation Committee.

Scrutiny

Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the President of the Council what plans he has to ensure that more Bills in the next session are subject to pre-legislative scrutiny.

Helen Jones: To ask the President of the Council what plans he has to ensure more Bills in the next Queen's Speech are subject to pre-legislative scrutiny.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer my hon. Friend's to the reply given earlier by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House.

Privy Council

Gordon Prentice: To ask the President of the Council when the Privy Council last met; and if he will make a statement on arrangements for convening meetings of the Privy Council.

Ben Bradshaw: The Privy Council last met on 26 June. The Queen normally holds a Council every month except January, August and September. Additional meetings are convened if urgent business requires it.

Lords Reform

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the President of the Council what discussions he has had with representatives of peers about when they will confirm their membership of the Joint Committee on the Future of the House of Lords.

Ben Bradshaw: The House of Lords agreed their membership of the Joint Committee on 4 July and the first meeting took place this morning.

Programming Motions

Simon Thomas: To ask the President of the Council what assessment he has made of the impact of programming motions on the number of amendments to Bills discussed.

Ben Bradshaw: I understand that some groups of amendments on programmed bills have not been reached. If there is engagement on all sides, I hope the number of such groups can be minimised. We should also remember that in the past, many groups of amendments on guillotined bills were not discussed.

Modernisation

Anne McIntosh: To ask the President of the Council what further proposals he plans to put before the Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons on working hours of the House.

Ben Bradshaw: My right hon. Friend's proposals were set out in his memorandum to the Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons which the Committee published last December.

Westminster Hall

Sandra Osborne: To ask the President of the Council what assessment he has made of the Westminster Hall experiment; and what plans he has to develop the experiment.

Ben Bradshaw: Westminster Hall has offered backbenchers and select committees vastly increased opportunities for debate. The Select Committee on Modernisation of the House of Commons will need to review its operation before the end of the Session and I hope their recommendations will build on its success.

Statutory Instruments

John Bercow: To ask the President of the Council how many statutory instruments have been (a) introduced, (b) removed and (c) amended by his Department since 1 January; and what the (i) cost and (ii) saving has been in each case.

Robin Cook: Eight statutory instruments have been introduced by my Department since 1 January, of which none removed others and one amended an earlier one. None of these instruments were introduced in my capacity as Leader of the House. A larger number of Orders in and of Council, introduced since the date mentioned, are also statutory instruments. These are included in the parliamentary answers given by the Departments from which they originated, so as to avoid double-counting.
	The other information sought is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Visitors' Facilities

Jim Knight: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission what assessment he has made of the new visitors' facility in Westminster Hall; and what plans he has to extend the facilities further.

Archy Kirkwood: Opening up Parliament to the public is one of the Commission's strategic aims, and the Jubilee Café, which was opened by Mr. Speaker in May, is a welcome development. It seats 100, serves modestly priced light refreshments and is fully wheelchair accessible. It also provides long-overdue toilet facilities for visitors. It is still too soon to make any formal assessment of the success of the new facilities, although early feedback from visitors indicates a high level of satisfaction with the range and quality of food provided. The Finance and Services Committee has asked for a full report from the Director of Catering Services in the autumn.
	More generally, a feasibility study on visitor facilities for Parliament is currently under way and will shortly make recommendations. These will include options for an information and visitor centre.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Pathways

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how her Department measures ease of use on country paths.

Alun Michael: A definition of "ease of use" was developed by the Countryside Agency in conjunction with our officials an the County Surveyors Society and the Audit Commission in order to provide an appropriate measure for performance indicators. This was refined last year when it became a Best Value performance indicator under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1999. The definition can be revised each year if necessary but there are advantages in avoiding change so that there is consistency in the data collection over a period of years.
	Ease of use is measured according to the percentage of total length of footpaths and other rights of way which are easy to use by members of the public. This involves consideration of the extent to which a footpath or other right of way is signposted or waymarked; the extent of unlawful obstructions and other interference, including overhanging vegetation, to the public rights of passage; and consideration of the good repair of the surface and lawful barriers, such as stiles and gates, to a standard necessary to enable the public to use without undue inconvenience.

Pathways

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the reasons for which no English county council has met the national target of easy-to-find pathways.

Alun Michael: The Countryside Agency's Rights of Way Condition Survey 2000 was conducted to establish how easy it is to find, follow and use public rights of way. Whilst it found there had been a substantial improvement in "easy to find" category, I am concerned that no survey region met the national target of 95 per cent. of their paths signposted. No formal assessment has been made of the reasons for this, although lack of funding and low priority are generally seen to be the cause. It is because the Government wants to be able to establish where the performance of local highways authorities could be improved, that we introduced a provision in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, section 71, that will enable the Secretary of State to require local highway authorities to publish reports on the performance of their functions relating to rights of way.

Rights of Way

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Government plans to implement powers in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 which will allow local authorities to divert or close rights of way for the purpose of crime prevention; which areas the provision will apply to; if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: I have published proposals to implement the provisions in 'Crime Prevention on Rights of Way: Public Consultation paper on the Designation of Areas and Other Procedural Matters'. This was published on 19 June and a copy placed in the Library of the House. Once the arrangements are in place it will be for the appropriate authorities to apply for designation. Normally the application will be made by the highway authority for a ward area or areas, but I have proposed some flexibility in my proposals. I am arranging for a copy to be forwarded to my right hon. Friend.

Incinerators

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment has been conducted by (a) her Department and (b) the Environment Agency into the destination of waste from municipal waste incinerators; if she will place copies of this documentation in the Library; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  which UK heat stations have supplied incinerator ash for construction; if she will list (a) the total amount of ash produced by each station and (b) the proportion of ash for each method of disposal or use; and if she will make a statement.
	(3)  if she will list those applications where incinerator ash, waste lime or dust was ultimately released to land by (a) site location, (b) year, (c) tonnage, (d) source and (e) end-use in 2001; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Meacher: The Environment Agency has completed their investigation into the destination of ash from municipal solid waste incinerators (MSWIs). The Agency has accounted for all the solid residues produced between 1996 and 2000 by MSWIs in England and Wales, and has evaluated the environmental implications of the residues' use, including use in construction. It has also looked at what steps may be needed in the light of these findings.
	Four municipal waste incinerators sent ash for processing with a view to its subsequent use in construction during the study period. Details of the total amounts of ash produced from each plant and the proportions sent for processing and landfill are in the table as follows (IBA—Incinerator Bottom Ash, ESP—Electrostatic Precipitator Ash):
	
		Percentages 
		
			 Incinerator Total ash (1996–2000) in tonnes Proportion to landfill Proportion to processors 
		
		
			 Teeside 212,000 IBA 67 33 
			 Edmonton 717,000 IBA/ESP 70 30 
			 Lewisham 577,000 IBA 59 41 
			 Birmingham 343,000 IBA 79 21 
		
	
	The Agency's investigation, summarised in their report "Solid Residues from Municipal Waste Incinerators in England and Wales" has now been published and I will ensure that the hon. Member receives a copy of it. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of the House. It is also available on the Agency's website at www.environment-agency.gov.uk.
	The Agency's investigation covered the period 1996 to 2000. The report itself lists annual tonnages of ash for the period covered by the investigation, and sites where MSWI residues were sent for disposal or reprocessing. Data on the end use of residues for 2001 are not available. Figures for 2001 for air pollution control residues will be available later in the year.
	I have asked the Chief Executive of the Agency to contact the hon. Member in due course, to see whether she should require further information after having had the opportunity to consider the report.

Used Refrigerators

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial help her Department is giving to county councils with the task of disposing of used refrigerators.

Michael Meacher: In December 2001, we announced a payment of £6 million to go to local authorities to cover their costs up until March 2002 for the disposal of refrigerators. We realise local authorities are in need of further funding and intend to make an announcement as soon as possible.

Used Refrigerators

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 2 July 2002, ref 64247, what financial aid is being made available to each local authority in 2001–02 to help with the storage and disposal of refrigerators.

Michael Meacher: £6 million was allocated to local authorities for the extra costs they faced from 1 January to end March this year as a result of the disposal of refrigerators regulations. This money was added to local authorities' general grant for the current financial year and distributed using standard spending assessments. It is not possible to provide a meaningful allocation for each authority.

Crabs

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to limit the landing of crab-claws to 75 kilos per trip.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 27 June 2002
	Yes.

Bovine TB

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what average number of hours per week is spent on veterinary surgeons in her Department in herd testing programme for Bovine TB; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 1 July 2002
	Veterinary Officers of the State Veterinary Service (SVS) are supported by approximately 100 Temporary Veterinary Inspectors (TVIs). During the six-month period December 2001 to May 2002 these veterinary surgeons spent approximately 15 per cent. of their time on TB-associated duties.
	In addition over 4,000 Local Veterinary Inspectors (LVIs) are eligible to carry out TB testing.

Bovine TB

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many veterinary surgeons in each regional office of her Department work on the herd testing programme for Bovine TB.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 1 July 2002
	The State Veterinary Service (SVS) comprises five regions and 23 divisions. Veterinary Officers of the SVS are supported by approximately 100 Temporary Veterinary Inspectors (TVIs). During the six-month period December 2001 to May 2002 these veterinary surgeons spent approximately 15 per cent. of their time on TB- associated duties.
	In addition over 4,000 Local Veterinary Inspectors (LVIs) are eligible to carry out TB testing.
	Provision of the number of veterinary surgeons who work on the bovine TB herd-testing programme, broken down by region, could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Bovine TB

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will list the pilot areas for the use of the gamma interferon test for bovine TB;
	(2)  when the use of the gamma interferon blood test for bovine TB commenced in pilot areas.

Margaret Beckett: holding answers 19 June 2002
	Pilot areas have not yet been identified. The matter is currently being considered by our veterinary and scientific advisers.

Molluscs

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to protect harvested molluscs from pollution.

Michael Meacher: We are committed to protecting and improving the quality of water in which bivalve molluscs grow. Under the EC shellfish waters directive we have designated 93 waters in England, harvested for shellfish, and have agreed water company spending of over £50 million on improvements to coastal sewage treatment and storm overflows up to 2005 specifically to improve water quality at these sites. Our target is for all commercial harvested shellfish beds to achieve at least category B under the EC shellfish hygiene directive, which includes provisions to protect public health.

EU Committees (Scottish Representation)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the EU committee for the adaptation to scientific and technical progress of the directive on protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources is next due to meet; whether experts nominated by the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Meacher: The committee last met on 17 June 2002. No date has yet been set for the next meeting but the committee usually meets every six months. A representative from the Scottish Executive is invited to attend each meeting as part of the UK delegation.

Committee Mandates

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Scientific Committee on Food is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: I have been asked to reply.
	The mandate for the scientific committee for food (SCF) is set out in European Commission (EC) Decision 1997/579/EC. The committee advises the Commission on any problem relating to the protection of the health and safety of persons arising or likely to arise from the consumption of food, in particular on nutritional, hygienic and toxicological issues.
	The committee has met six times in the last 12 months and there have been numerous working group meetings. The SCF is composed of independent experts (with experience in related scientific fields) and does not represent the views of the member states in which they work. Three members with expertise in food toxicology and microbiology are based in the UK.
	The committee is accountable solely to the EC which pays the travel and subsistence costs of members. There are no additional costs to UK public funds.
	The committee is currently considering a number of issues relating to food additives, flavourings, constituents of packaging material, aspects of nutrition and genetically modified food. Minutes, current agendas of meetings and opinions of the committee can be found on the SCF website.

Committee Mandates

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the EU Committee for the Adaptation to Technical Progress and Application of the Community Award Scheme for an Eco-label is next due to meet; whether representatives of the Scottish Executive (a) have been and (b) are members of it; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Meacher: The next meeting is scheduled for 25 September this year. The European Commission has not yet circulated a final agenda, but the Committee's normal business is to vote formally on new or revised technical criteria that manufacturers need to satisfy to obtain the eco-label award for their products.
	The Committee—now called the Eco-label Regulatory Committee—consists of member states' nominated representatives. The UK is represented by an official from this Department. Representatives from the Scottish Executive have not attended, because the Executive has asked DEFRA to carry out all functions in relation to the EU eco-label on its behalf, as have the new Administrations in Wales and Northern Ireland. We liaise with the Administrations on relevant matters, and before each Regulatory Committee meeting DEFRA consults the new Administrations about the matters to be voted on.
	We actively support the eco-label award scheme, whose aims are to promote products which can reduce negative environmental impacts, and to help provide consumers with accurate information about these aspects. The scheme was set up in 1992 by EU Regulation 880–92, which was revised in 2000 by Regulation 1980–2000. To obtain the award, companies must prove that their products meet the appropriate environmental criteria agreed by EU member states, which are published on the Commission's website at http://europa.eu.int/comm/ environment/ecolabel/.

Sustainable Development

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which Government Ministers will attend the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

Michael Meacher: We are currently in the process of considering the delegation for the forthcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development but the final decision on the make up of the delegation will rest with the Prime Minister. However, both the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I will attend the summit. Ministerial representation at the summit will reflect the cross cutting nature of sustainable development.

Johannesburg Earth Summit

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proposals her Department will take to the Johannesburg Earth Summit.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 3 July 2002
	We hope that the summit will complement the Doha Development Agenda and the Monterrey Consensus by accelerating implementation of Agenda 21 and the Millennium Development Goals. We strongly support the priority areas of water, energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity identified by the UN Secretary-General.

DEFENCE

Expenditure Plans

Gillian Merron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to publish the 2002–03 to 2003–04 expenditure plans for his Department.

Geoff Hoon: The Government's expenditure plans 2002–03 to 2003–04 for the Ministry of Defence are published today. The document provides details of the Government's plans for defence expenditure for the two years 2002–03 to 2003–04. It complements the MOD's Performance Report 2000–01 (Cm 5290, November 2001) submitted to Parliament last year.
	The document is part of a series of departmental reports which, along with the main estimates, and the document "Public Expenditure: Statistical Analyses 2002–03", present the Government's expenditure plans for 2002–04.

EU Directives

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the EU directives relating to his Department which have been (a) amended and (b) repealed in 2002.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence is consulted by other Government Departments on the negotiation or implementation of various European directives (for example, those concerning employment and workers' rights). But EU directives do not generally relate specifically to the MOD and the MOD has not been the lead Department dealing with any amendment or repeal of the directives in 2002.

EU Directives

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the EU directives and regulations that have been implemented through his Department in 2002; and what was the cost of each to public funds.

Lewis Moonie: The Ministry of Defence is consulted by other Government Departments on the implementation of various European directives or regulations (for example, those concerning employment and workers' rights), but is not generally the lead Department dealing with implementation and has not been in relation to any directives or regulations in 2002.
	As I stated in my answer on 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 32W, the information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Macedonia

Alice Mahon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how much unexploded ordnance was dumped into Lakes Prespa and Dolnolipkovsko in Macedonia in September 1999; and what other waste was dumped there;
	(2)  for what reason KFOR will not allow independent researchers to investigate what kind of waste was dumped into Lakes Prespa and Dolnolipkovsko and with what impact.

Adam Ingram: I am not aware of the dumping of either unexploded ordnance or other waste into lakes Prespa or Dolnolipkovsko in Macedonia although I am aware of reports published on the internet. If the hon. Member would care to write with more details, I will investigate further.

Sub-continent (Weapons Capability)

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what representations his Department has received regarding increases in Pakistan's (a) offensive and (b) defensive weapons capabilities from November 2001 to June 2002;
	(2)  what representations his Department has received regarding increases to India's (a) offensive and (b) defensive weapons capabilities from November 2001 to June 2002.

Geoff Hoon: The Ministry of Defence have received a number of representations regarding Pakistan's and India's weapons capabilities from members of both Houses of Parliament and from members of the public. Currently the number of Parliamentary Questions stands at 39, and approximately 30 letters have been received from members of the public.
	I am aware that other Departments have also received representations. We are continuing to monitor the situation.

Astute Class Submarine

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the scheduled launch date is for each of the Astute class SSNs;
	(2)  what the in-service date is of HMS Astute.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 8 July 2002
	The first Astute class nuclear powered attack submarine, HMS Astute, had been expected to enter service in June 2005. The prime contractor, BAE Systems is achieving improvements in cost compared with previous submarines. However, the company has made slower progress in the detailed design and in the build up of production than anticipated. The first of class, HMS Astute, is now not expected to enter service before late 2006, although this date has yet to be agreed with the contractor. BAE Systems is taking a range of management and other actions to minimise the slippage: this includes a re-assessment of the optimum time to perform the launch during the build sequence. Revised launch dates will not be available until later in the year.
	After the initial entry into service, the plan calls for a considerable trials and work up period before the boat will become fully operational. The Ministry of Defence will work with BAE Systems to recover as much as possible of the delay in this period. BAE Systems is working to minimise any delay to the other two submarines on order, HMS Ambush and HMS Artful.

Married Quarters

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 25 June 2002, Official Report, column 749W, on married quarters, what plans he has to improve the standard of service families' accommodation in Wiltshire.

Lewis Moonie: I regret that the information given was incomplete and gave numbers of houses managed by only one of the four areas of the Defence Housing Executive (DHE) involved. The reply therefore understated DHE's achievement in improving the overall quality of service housing. There are 5,921 properties in Wiltshire, of which 1,389 (23 per cent.) are at standard 1 for condition, 3,404 (57 per cent.) at standard 2, 1,005 (17 per cent.) at standard 3 and 123 (3 per cent.) at standard 4.
	There is a major project under way in Tidworth which will provide 484 new properties by 2004. 47 have been completed so far. Additionally, the following upgrade projects are planned for possible implementation in due course, to deliver 696 upgrades at an estimated cost of £30 million:
	Upavon—158
	Colerne—160
	Bulford—205
	Larkhill—63.

Arms Fairs

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the arms fairs organised, supported and sponsored by his Department in each year since 1997, indicating the (a) name, (b) location and (c) cost to the Department and organisations attending each event.

Lewis Moonie: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Arms Fairs

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the arms fairs that are to be organised, supported and sponsored by his Department in 2002 and 2003.

Lewis Moonie: Since September 1997 the Ministry of Defence no longer organises defence exhibitions.
	However, in support of the Government's commitment to a strong United Kingdom defence industry, the Ministry of Defence undertakes a broad range of activities in support of the organisers of defence exhibitions. Normal marketing support to UK exhibitors is provided by the Defence Export Services Organisation, and other assistance includes helping the organisers ensure maximum exposure of UK products to potential customers by supporting officials' inward visits.
	This year the MOD will participate in the Farnborough Airshow, which is a commercial event organised and run by the Society of British Aerospace Companies. In 2003, the MOD will participate in the Defence System and Equipment International exhibition, organised by Spearhead Exhibitions Ltd.
	In addition to these events, DESO have either supported or currently expect to support the following shows:
	2002
	Aid & Trade International, Switzerland
	Pacific 2002, Australia
	Asian Air, Singapore
	DEFEXPOL, India
	FIDEA, Chile
	DSA Malaysia, Malaysia
	Eurosatory, France
	Africa Aerodef, South Africa
	Defendory, Greece
	Sofex, Jordan
	Euronaval, France
	Euronaval, Chile
	2003
	Avalon, Australia
	Aero India, India
	IDEX, Abu Dhabi
	Aviation World Fair, USA
	LAD, Brazil
	IMDEX, Singapore
	Paris Air, France
	Aviation North America, USA
	IDEF, Turkey
	Kormarine, South Korea
	Seoul Air, South Korea
	Dubai Air, Dubai
	LIMA, Malaysia.

Building Values

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the buildings owned by his Department and estimate the market value of each of them.

Lewis Moonie: I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury gave him on 3 July 2002, Official Report, column 339W.

A400M

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what A400M spares will be stored in the United Kingdom;
	(2)  where the spares store for the A400M will be located.

Lewis Moonie: The United Kingdom, together with its partner nations, has initiated work to produce a Common Support Strategy for A400M. We plan to make a decision on this aspect of the programme by 2005, after considering a range of options. It is not yet possible, therefore, to say what A400M spares will be held in the UK, and where A400M spares will be held.

A400M

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how the wings for the A400M will be transported from Filton to the main construction site in France.

Lewis Moonie: Final assembly of the A400M aircraft will take place in Seville, Spain. A400M wings will be transported to Seville by the Beluga aircraft (a modified Airbus A300) already used by Airbus UK to deliver wings for Airbus commercial aircraft.

Thailand

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Government of Thailand about the sale of warships.

Lewis Moonie: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence held discussions, during his recent visit to Thailand, with his Thai counterpart and other senior Thai officials in support of proposals put forward by United Kingdom companies.

Police (Accommodation)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what MOD properties are being used by police forces to house police officers undergoing their initial training; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: All initial training for Ministry of Defence police recruits is conducted at the MDP Police Training Centre (MDP PTC), Wethersfield, Essex. In addition to this CENTREX have been conducting initial training for Home Office police force recruits at MDP PTC Wethersfield since January 2001. The recruits have been accommodated in the standard student accommodation blocks.
	A number of former married quarters at Mill Hill, now owned by Annington Homes Ltd. are occupied by Metropolitan police cadets.

Barracks Deaths

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the date was of each death of a member of HM armed forces through non-natural causes (a) in and (b) in the vicinity of military property since 1990; and what the name of the barracks was in each case.

Lewis Moonie: Between 1 January 1990 and 1 July 2002 there have been 1,748 deaths in the regular armed forces due to injury. The following table shows these injury related deaths broken down by geographical region. Information on precise location of deaths is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost and it would compromise Service personnel confidentiality.
	
		
			   Location  
			  Great Britain(5) Northern Ireland Germany BAOR Others Total 
		
		
			 1990 133 14 37 33 217 
			 1991 105 14 42 63 224 
			 1992 84 20 32 31 167 
			 1993 108 14 19 28 169 
			 1994 85 6 23 37 151 
			 1995 87 12 18 29 146 
			 1996 62 5 15 24 105 
			 1997 79 2 8 18 107 
			 1998 65 3 11 31 110 
			 1999 68 1 9 21 99 
			 2000 76 5 8 21 110 
			 2001 89 5 5 18 97 
			 2002(6) 28 5 2 10 45 
			  
			 Total 1,049 106 229 364 1,748 
		
	
	(5) Includes UK waters and north Atlantic
	(6) As at 1 July 2002

Canberra PR9

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of the Canberra PR9 reconnaissance aircraft; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: For the last financial year 2001–02, the total resource running costs of the five Canberra PR9 aircraft in 39 Squadron was approximately £15.5 million.

Army Vehicles

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the content of British manufacturing in vehicles used by the Army.

Lewis Moonie: Information relating to a selection of vehicles used by the British Army (Warrior Armoured Personnel Vehicle (APV), Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank (MBT), Landrover and the Demountable Rack Off Load and Pick up System (DROPS) vehicle) is set out in the table.
	Information on the content of British manufacturing for every vehicle used is not held centrally and as such an overall assessment could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The British manufacturing content of each of the vehicles, set out in the table, is 85 per cent. or more.
	
		
			 Vehicle Manufacturer 
		
		
			 Warrior APV  
			 Vehicle design authority Alvis Vehicles Ltd. (UK owned) 
			 Hull manufacture Alvis Vehicles (UK manufactured and owned) 
			 Engine and transmission Perkins (UK manufactured—now owned by Caterpillar, a US company) 
			 Turret design authority Vickers Defence Systems (UK manufactured and owned) 
			 Track William Cook Defence (UK manufactured and owned) 
			   
			 Challenger 2 MBT  
			 Vehicle design authority Vickers Defence Systems (UK owned) 
			 Turret design authority Vickers Defence Systems (UK owned) 
			 Track William Cook Defence (UK manufactured and owned) 
			 Engine Perkins (UK manufactured—now owned by Caterpillar, a US company) 
			 Transmission David Brown Defence (US owned and UK manufactured) 
			 Laser Range Finder Simrad (Norwegian owned and manufactured) 
			   
			  DROPS Vehicle Medium Mobility Load Carrier (IMMLC) 
			 Parent company PACCAR (US owned) 
			 Vehicle design authority Foden (UK owned) 
			 Manufacturer Foden (UK owned and manufactured) 
			 Engine manufacture (UK manufactured now owned by US company—Caterpillar) 
			 Transmision manufacturer ZF (German owned and manufactured) 
			   
			  DROPS Vehicle Medium Mobility Load Carrier (MMLC)  
			 Parent company PACCAR (US owned) 
			 Vehicle design authority Leyland (UK owned) 
			 Manufacturer Leyland (UK owned and manufactured) 
			 Engine manufacture (UK manufactured now owned by US company—Caterpillar) 
			 Transmission manufacturer ZF (German owned and manufactured) 
			   
			 Landrover  
			 Parent company Ford (US) 
			 Vehicle design authority Landrover (US owned) 
			 Manufacturer Landrover (US owned, UK manufactured) 
			 Engine manufacture Landrover (US owned, UK manufactured) 
			 Transmission manufacturer Landrover (US owned, UK manufactured)

Armed Forces Pension Scheme

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the proportion of the rise in Government liabilities resulting from unfunded parts of the armed forces pension scheme in the last five years due to (a) wage inflation, (b) longevity, (c) extension of the rights of part-time workers and (d) other factors; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: A detailed breakdown of reasons for the increased liabilities of the armed forces pension scheme cannot be provided. However, the most significant factors in the increase from 43.7 billion at 1 April 1997 to 51 billion at 1 April 2001 have been price inflation and real wage increases. Trends in pensioner longevity will also have had an impact but the effect of rights of part-time workers is considered to have been minimal.

Tank Warfare

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to conduct a cost and effectiveness comparison of alternatives to using depleted uranium in gun-launched Kinetic Energy penetrator projectiles to defeat threats from tanks; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: Operational analysis (OA) studies into the cost-effectiveness of tank-launched depleted uranium ammunition have taken place since the 1970s when it was assessed that the existing tungsten Kinetic Energy (KE) projectile for our main battle tank would not be able to penetrate the frontal armour of the next generation of battle tanks. OA and scientific research showed that a battle winning UK capability against emerging armour technologies could be achieved by replacing the tungsten penetrator with one made from DU.
	Although research to identify more effective alternative KE tank rounds has been undertaken, no satisfactory alternative to DU has yet been identified which achieves the level of penetration needed to defeat the most modern battle tanks. At this time, the use of DU ammunition remains the most operationally effective capability and the use of non-DU ammunition would significantly threaten operational success and potentially could lead to increased UK casualties.
	We will, however, continue to carry out work on alternatives to DU. The DU research proposal which was announced earlier this year, 14 March 2002, Official Report, columns 1177–78W—also published on the web at www.mod.uk/issues/depleted_uranium/du_research.htm— includes, at section 2.5, OA studies on the types of engagement where DU ammunition is required and the consequences of not using DU, together with cost-effectiveness studies into other means of defeating heavy armour. The proposal also includes, at section 2.6, work into radical alternatives (for example, guided missiles) to DU KE penetrators to defeat heavy armour.

Skyguard Radar

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to bring back Skyguard radar to the Somerset area in the next year.

Lewis Moonie: Use of the Skyguard mobile radar system to monitor military aircraft activity is covert and details are not made public in advance of deployment. As is customary, I shall let the hon. Member know in confidence when the next deployment of Skyguard is imminent in his area of Somerset.

Eurofighter

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what extra costs (a) have been and (b) will be incurred by the delayed introduction of the Eurofighter into RAF service until the end of the year.

Lewis Moonie: No additional costs have been incurred by the delayed introduction of the Eurofighter into Royal Air Force service, and none are expected to be incurred. Initiation of contract support of initial flying will not commence until the first RAF aircraft has been accepted. We believe we will be able to maintain the planned operational employment date for Eurofighter, therefore, allowing existing aircraft to be withdrawn from service as scheduled.

Warship Construction

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department intends to spend in each of the financial years from 2004 to 2008 inclusive on new warship construction; and what the cost of refit and repair work will be.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 8 July 2002
	Based on current plans, we expect to spend the following sums on new warship construction (including submarines):
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2004–05 735 
			 2005–06 1,890 
			 2006–07 1,146 
			 2007–08 1,126 
		
	
	The planning cycle for naval support expenditure covers four financial years. We estimate that the cost of planned maintenance (including refits) and repair work on warships (including submarines) and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels will be in the region of £500 million in each of the years 2004–05 and 2005–06. These figures exclude the cost of upgraded equipment. Estimates for 2006–07 and 2007–08 are not available.
	Figures are for planning purposes only and are subject to regular review.

Overseas Naval Procurement

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent expressions of interest he has received from the Government of Thailand about the purchase of Royal Navy warships; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 8 July 2002
	The Ministry of Defence's Disposal Services Agency (DSA) has received no formal expressions of interest from the Government of Thailand about the purchase of Royal Naval warships in recent years.

Overseas Naval Procurement

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expressions of interest he has received from the Chilean Government in respect of the possible purchase of type 23 frigates.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 8 July 2002
	The Chilean Government have expressed an interest in the possible purchase of type 23 frigates in the future. Discussions are currently ongoing.

Search and Rescue Helicopter

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the plans to move the Portland search and rescue helicopter to Lee-on-Solent.

David Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government are committed to a continuing helicopter search and rescue capability along the south coast. Discussion between the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and other organisations about the future location of the helicopter based at Portland are continuing. No final decisions have been made.

Asylum Centre (Throckmorton)

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements he is making to conduct an environmental impact assessment for the proposed asylum accommodation centre at Throckmorton; and when that assessment will be available to the planning authority.

Beverley Hughes: I have been asked to reply.
	We have agreed with Wychavon District Council that an environmental impact assessment will be submitted with the planning notification.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Women's Organisations

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what women's organisations have been consulted on proposed legislation by his Department during 2000–01 and 2001–02 Sessions; and if their responses have been published.

Jane Kennedy: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland consulted the following groups during the period in question.
	Lesbian Line
	Omagh Women's Area Network
	Women's Resource and Development
	The Women's Centre
	Women's Forum NI
	NI Women's Aid Federation
	Mid-Ulster Women's Network
	Family Planning Association NI
	Derry Well Woman
	Newry and Mourne Women
	Fermanagh Women's Network
	NI Women's European Platform
	Gay and Lesbian Youth NI
	Women's Support Network
	Women's Information Group
	NI Women's Coalition.
	The responses from these consultations have not been published.

Data Commissioning

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what new data series separated by gender, race, disability and age have been commissioned by his Department since August 1997.

Jane Kennedy: During 2001, the Northern Ireland Office commissioned the 2001 sweep of the Northern Ireland Crime Survey, which contains data on the gender, race, disability (or activity-limiting long-standing illness) and age of each of the 3,010 respondents.
	Also, in 2002 the NIO published "Gender and the Northern Ireland Criminal Justice System", which presents a wide range of statistical data and research findings on the Northern Ireland criminal justice system in terms of gender comparisons. Similar Northern Ireland criminal justice system publications focusing on age and race are planned for 2002–03.

Gender Impact Assessment

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the subject of each gender impact assessment drawn up by his Department since June 1997, indicating in each case whether the outcome has been (a) put out to consultation and (b) published.

Jane Kennedy: There have been no specific single gender impact assessments put to consultation or published by the Northern Ireland Office since 1997.

Equal Treatment

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has established a baseline for policy appraisal against which to measure progress on equal treatment; and what progress has been achieved.

Jane Kennedy: Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, requires public authorities to have due regard to the need to 'promote equality of opportunity' and have regard to 'promoting good relations' within Northern Ireland. The legislation also requires them to produce an 'Equality Scheme' stating how they will fulfil these requirements. In January 2000 the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) commissioned the preparation of an 'Equality Scheme' which was approved by the Quality Commission for Northern Ireland on 20 November 2001. The Scheme sets out how the Department and its Agencies fulfil their duties and obligations with regard to all of their policies, functions and duties.
	An 'External Assessor' has recently produced the first Annual Progress Report on the operation of the NIO's Equality Scheme. The report looked at the work of the Department to date and commented favourably on progress.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefit Fraud Inspectorate

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish the next programme of inspections for the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate.

Malcolm Wicks: The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate's (BFI) latest programme of activity includes inspections of both central and local government.
	The local authority inspections will focus on various aspects of benefits administration and counter fraud performance in the following local authorities:
	Crawley district council
	Barnsley metropolitan council
	Basingstoke and Deane district council
	Waveney district council
	Castle Morpeth district council
	East Renfrewshire council.
	This is the first programme of inspections following the publication of the "Performance Standards for Housing Benefits" in March 2002. The BFI inspections will consider, among other things, the progress councils have made in assessing their own performance against the standards.
	BFI will also inspect a number of councils to test compliance against the Race Relations Amendment Act 2001 in the area of benefits administration.
	BFI will be writing to Chief Executives with more details in the coming week.
	BFI will also be undertaking an inspection of Jobcentre Plus to establish how the new organisation is taking forward the recommendations made in the BFI report on the Benefits Agency's relationship with local authorities, published in September 2001.
	Alongside these inspections, BFI will continue to contribute to the comprehensive performance assessments of local authorities.

Poverty

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he will consult on the definition of older persons' poverty.

Ian McCartney: Poverty can be caused by a number of factors and no one measure can capture all of these factors. Accordingly, we have developed a number of measures of poverty which we track and report on in the annual "Opportunity for All" report.

Child Support Agency

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people have been prosecuted for making a false statement to the Child Support Agency in respect of their income; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what measures are taken by the Child Support Agency to ascertain that details of claimed income by an absent parent are correct; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many cases were raised by hon. and right hon. Members with the Child Support Agency in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Malcolm Wicks: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Bob Russell, dated 8 July 2002
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply by me.
	You ask three questions:
	1. How many people have been prosecuted for making a false statement to the Child Support Agency in respect of their income; and if the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions will make a statement.
	Our aim is to encourage parents to support their children. In the majority of cases our demonstrated intention to take a case to court has been sufficient to encourage the non-resident parent either to provide the correct requested information or to make arrangements to pay maintenance.
	Against that background since April 2002, four cases have been taken to court in regard to the provision of false information.
	2. What measures are taken by the Child Support Agency to ascertain that details of claimed income by an absent parent are correct, and if the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions will make a statement.
	The Agency requests verification of all income declared by our clients before the maintenance is calculated.
	If we are unable to get the necessary information from the client, either because they are unable or unwilling to provide it, we will contact third parties who might reasonably be expected to hold relevant information.
	3. How many cases were raised by hon. and right hon. Members with the Child Support Agency in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
	Members of Parliament have written to the Agency through Parliamentary Correspondence Unit about the following total number of cases in each of the last five years:
	April 1997 to March 1998: 6962
	April 1998 to March 1999: 7690
	April 1999 to March 2000: 5338
	April 2000 to March 2001: 4218
	April 2001 to March 2002: 3050
	Members of Parliament are also encouraged to contact our offices directly in relation to cases. We do not have a central record of the total number of those cases.
	I hope this is helpful.

Child Support Agency

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the answer of 19 April 2002, Official Report, column 1212W, on the Child Support Agency, when testing of the child support reforms new rules implementation IT project will be complete.

Malcolm Wicks: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Steve Webb, dated 8 July 2002
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply by me.
	You ask pursuant to the Answer of 19th April Official Report column 1212W on the Child Support Agency when testing of the Child Support Reforms New Rules Implementation IT project will be complete.
	The testing of the new IT system to support Child Support Reform is progressing. When this work is complete I will advise the Secretary of State accordingly.
	I hope this is helpful.

Child Support Agency

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people were committed to prison because they had committed offences relating to the work of the Child Support Agency in each year since the Agency was established;
	(2)  how many parents have faced criminal sanctions under the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000 because they have (a) failed to provide the Child Support Agency with required information and (b) provided false information.

Malcolm Wicks: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. David Willetts, dated 8 July 2002
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply by me.
	You ask two questions;
	how many people were committed to prison because they had committed offences relating to the work of the Child Support Agency in each year since the Agency was established and
	how many parents have faced criminal sanction under the Child Support Pensions and Social Security Act 2000 because they have (a) failed to provide the Child Support Agency with required information and (b) provided false information.
	Our aim is to encourage parents to support their children. In the majority of cases our demonstrated intention to take a case to court has been sufficient to encourage the non-resident parent either to provide requested information or to make arrangements to pay maintenance.
	Against that background:
	Since April 2001, one person has been committed to prison. Prior to this, the information wasn't centrally gathered.
	There have been no cases taken to court in respect of failing to provide required information.
	Since april 2002, four cases have been taken to court in regard to the provision of false information.
	I hope this is helpful.

Incapacity Benefit

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer of 25 January 2002, Official Report, column 1140W, on incapacity benefit, what data his Department hold on (a) the number of incapacity benefit claimants who have been required to attend repeat Benefits Agency medical assessment, (b) the number of incapacity benefit claimants who have lost their entitlement as a result of a repeat Benefits Agency medical assessment and (c) the number of incapacity benefit claimants transferred to a different benefit as a result of a repeat Benefits Agency medical assessment.

Malcolm Wicks: Data collected on the number of people referred for a Personal Capability Assessment does not distinguish between initial and subsequent referrals.

Industrial Injuries Advisory Council

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council's review of the schedule of occupational diseases for which benefits are paid will be published.

Nick Brown: In February 1997 the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council announced that it would review the schedule of occupational diseases in respect of which benefit can be paid.
	This review is a major task. The Council has therefore decided to publish reports on discrete parts of the list of diseases as the review progresses rather than producing a single report. The findings of the review that have been published so far are; Diseases induced by Ionising and Non-Ionising Radiation (Cm 4280) published in March 1999 and Conditions due to Chemical Agents (Cm 5395) published in February 2002.
	The Council will continue to review all the evidence it receives and reports of its further findings will be published in due course.

Change Programme

Peter Lilley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the savings achieved under the change programme.

Nick Brown: The Department is in the early years of a major change programme with considerable savings planned for the later years. The savings achieved by the former DSS change programme in 2001–02 are £3.1 million administrative expenditure and £73.3 million programme expenditure.

Consultants

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contracts the Department of Work and Pensions has with consultants; what level of professional indemnity insurance is standard in contracts with small consultants; whether he can make exceptions to the level of professional indemnity insurance; and what recent discussions he has had with other Government Departments about the level of professional indemnity insurance.

Nick Brown: The Department currently has 177 consultancy contracts in place let via framework agreements, including the Office of Government Commerce's Service Categories IT and Business Services Catalogue. Each agreement has its own standard set of Terms and Conditions—including levels of professional indemnity insurance.
	Standard terms set Limitation of Liability for damage to property at a maximum of £1,000,000 and other defaults at a maximum of £50,000 or 150 per cent. of the value of the contract. Professional indemnity insurance is generally set at a level appropriate to the size of the contract and the level of risk involved.
	In addition to framework standard Terms and Conditions, special terms specific to the requirement in hand can be agreed to adjust the limitation of liability.
	On discussions with other Government Departments I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 6 February 2002, Official Report, column 689W.

Housing Benefit

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have been in receipt of housing benefit in (a) Angus and (b) Scotland in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Wicks: The available information is in the table.
	
		Housing benefit case load at February of each year from 1998 to 2002
		
			  Angus Government office region of Scotland 
		
		
			 1998 8,300 530,000 
			 1999 8,000 518,000 
			 2000 7,600 487,000 
			 2001 7,600 467,000 
			 2002 7,300 453,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Data for Angus relate to the Angus council area.
	2. The data refer to households claiming housing benefit which may be a single person, a couple or a family. More than one benefit household can live in one property, for example two or more adults in a flat or house share arrangement.
	3. Figures for Angus council are rounded to the nearest 100; figures for Scotland are rounded to the nearest 1,000.
	4. Figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated.
	Source:
	Housing Benefit Management Information System quarterly 100 per cent. counts taken in February of each year.

Retirement Age

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what changes he has made to his policy on the age of retirement since 1998.

Ian McCartney: We have made no change in the policy on state pension age since 1998. Legislation was introduced in 1995 to equalise state pension age for men and women. Women's state pension age will be increased gradually from 60 to 65 between the years 2010 and 2020.
	But we are looking at the factors that help determine the age at which people actually retire. Too many people experience a cliff edge between work and retirement. We need to be able to provide real opportunities and incentives to enable people to stay in the work place for longer—where they want to. We also need to tackle the perverse incentives to retire even when it might suit people to carry on working, perhaps part-time, for longer. We are looking at options for providing people with greater flexibility about when they retire.

Correspondence

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will respond to the letter of 13 May from the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond) regarding a constituent, Mrs. P. Baker, New Dear, Aberdeenshire.

Maria Eagle: A reply to the letter of 13 May from the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan was sent on 8 July.

Self-employed Disabled People

Lorna Fitzsimons: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to allow greater flexibility in the calculation of the annual permitted work rules in respect of average rather than actual weekly earnings for self-employed disabled people.

Maria Eagle: The new permitted work rules, introduced on 8 April, give all people receiving incapacity benefits the chance to start moving back into full-time work. When attributing income from irregular work undertaken by self-employed disabled people, decision makers must treat each case on its merits. Guidance advises decision makers to look at income and hours worked over a period of time so that income can be attributed in a fair and equitable way.
	We keep all our policies under review. However, we believe that there is sufficient flexibility within the present rules and have no plans to change them.

Public Service Agreement Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what has been the (a) cost and (b) saving from the pursuit of the Department's public service agreement targets in each year since they were introduced.

Ian McCartney: The Department's public service agreement sets out the key outcomes it is committed to deliver with the resources provided, and its service delivery agreement sets out the key steps towards delivery of those targets. Each year the Department publishes performance against its targets—including on value for money—and the resources it has used in its departmental report.

Performance Targets

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the (a) cost and (b) saving has been from the Department's pursuit of service delivery agreement targets in each year since they were introduced.

Ian McCartney: The Department's public service agreement sets out the key outcomes it is committed to deliver with the resources provided, and its service delivery agreement sets out the key steps towards delivery of those targets. Each year the Department publishes performance against its targets—including on value for money—and the resources it has used in its departmental report.

Benefit Statistics

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how much benefit was paid, by category, in (a) the UK and (b) rural areas in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many benefit claimants, by category, there were in (a) the UK and (b) rural areas for each of the last 10 years.

Nick Brown: holding answer 24 June 2002
	The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available has been placed in the Library.

TREASURY

Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration is given by (a) his Department and (b) the IMF to the recent human rights record of the country concerned during the consideration of providing assistance under the HIPC initiative.

John Healey: The UK continues to be at the forefront of the international debate on debt relief issues, and continues to press for the rapid and full implementation of the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative. One of the necessary conditions for countries to qualify for debt relief under HIPC is the formulation of a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). For low-income member countries, the IMF has placed PRSPs at the centre of its efforts. Pro-poor growth policies help to increase the amount of resources available that are required for the progressive realisation of human rights, including civil and political rights, and social justice. These strategies are designed in collaboration with civil society and the private sector and describe a country's macroeconomic, structural and social policies, setting out the policy action governments propose to take to reduce poverty. They provide a budgetary framework, not only for spending the savings from debt relief, but also for allocating other government revenue and support from the World bank, IMF and donor countries, hence enhancing transparency over fiscal expenditure. IMF programmes in HIPC countries pay particular attention to promoting pro-poor growth and improving governance.

Home Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to review the VAT treatment of the services of home care agencies and home carers.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for mid-Sussex (Nicholas Soames) on 5 July 2002, Official Report, columns 627–28W.

Climate Change Levy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total revenues were which he received during 2001–02 as a result of the climate change levy.

John Healey: Table 2.1D in the ONS publication "Financial Statistics" (May 2001) shows cash receipts from CCL to be £551 million for the year 2001–02; on an accruals basis this is equivalent to £831 million.

Aggregates Levy

Peter Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many opencast mines have applied for exemption from the Aggregates Levy in respect of their sales of surplus aggregates by-product;
	(2)  for what reason aggregates created as by-product from open cast mining are excluded from the Aggregates Levy;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the proportion of aggregates used in the United Kingdom that will be exempt from the Aggregates Levy;
	(4)  what systems are in place to detect fraudulent avoidance of the Aggregates Levy.

John Healey: Open cast mines which do not produce any taxable aggregate are not required to register for the levy.
	Current revenue forecasts use only those aggregate arisings which are subject to the levy, and therefore no assessment has been made of the proportion of aggregates used in the UK that will be exempt from the levy.
	The spoil arising from the separation of coal from rock after it has been extracted from an open cast mine is exempt because it is a waste material and its use as aggregate is specifically encouraged in the Government's mineral planning guidelines.
	Customs are utilising audit trails which already exist within business accounting records and are targeting resources in accordance with perceived risk. Where fraud is detected, Customs will use their powers to recover the revenue due and impose penalties.

Aerospace Industry

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to help alleviate the problems experienced by the aerospace industry since 11 September 2001.

Dawn Primarolo: In Budget 2002, the Chancellor announced the extension of the R&D tax credits to all companies, following the introduction of an R&D tax credit for small companies in Budget 2000. The credit will be worth £400 million per annum. Aerospace manufacturers, which undertake 10 per cent. of the UK's R&D, will be significant beneficiaries of this measure.

Tax Returns

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason the electronic filing of tax returns requires a password to be sent by post.

Dawn Primarolo: To electronically file a tax return using the Internet Service for Self Assessment a user must first register. There are two methods by which a customer can register, they can register on-line by choosing a password and a user ID will be sent to them by post or by using a digital certificate. For security purposes we need to be confident of the identity of the user and our registration process enables us to do this.

Tax Offices

Chris Grayling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason tax offices do not offer e-mail contact points.

Dawn Primarolo: Most tax offices do not offer e-mail contact points but as part of an external e-mail trial, 10 Inland Revenue offices are offering e-mail contacts to customers.
	The trial findings will be used to inform the Department's strategic solution for improving electronic customer contact.

Regional Funding

Alex Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff within his Department are allocated to consideration of regional funding mechanisms.

Paul Boateng: There are 10 people in the team responsible for advising Treasury Ministers on regional policy in England, EU structural funds, the Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales Offices, and funding arrangements with the devolved Administrations. Devolved funding arrangements are set out in the Statement of Funding Policy.

Barnett Formula

Alex Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the 2002–03 Scottish Executive budget is affected by the Barnett formula.

Paul Boateng: Around 83 per cent. of the 2002–03 Scottish Executive total managed expenditure is the Departmental Expenditure Limit assigned budget, increases in which are determined by the Barnett formula.

Network Rail

Nick Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether loans provided by the Strategic Rail Authority and drawn upon by Network Rail under the arrangements announced by the Secretary for Transport on 27 June will be included in the net cash requirement for the year in which they are drawn down.

Paul Boateng: Yes. Lending to the private sector by Government is a determinant of the public sector net cash requirement. So lending by the SRA to Network Rail would increase the public sector net cash requirement in the year the loans were made.

Departmental Spending

Jackie Lawrence: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the levels of departmental spending.

Gordon Brown: I propose to make a statement to the House on Monday 15 July.

Double Taxation Agreement (Taipei)

Barbara Follett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the British Trade and Cultural Office, Taipei, has concluded a Double Taxation Agreement with the Taipei Representative Office in the United Kingdom.

Dawn Primarolo: The Double Taxation Agreement was concluded between unofficial representative offices because Her Majesty's Government do not recognise Taiwan as a state and so do not enter into treaties with the Taiwanese Government. The agreement was signed on 8 April. The text has been deposited in the Library of the House and made available on the Inland Revenue's website. It will be scheduled to a draft Order in Council and laid for consideration by the House at the earliest convenient opportunity.

Retail Investment Review

Barbara Follett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Sandler review of retail investment will be published.

Ruth Kelly: Ron Sandler's report is being published today. Copies are available in the Vote Office and in the Library of the House. It is also accessible on the Treasury website.
	Ron Sandler's recommendations have the potential to bring benefits for consumers, for the retail investment industry and to improve the workings of the market. They will mean more competition, greater efficiency and more productive investment.
	Simpler, safer investment products of the kind Mr. Sandler proposes would be easier for consumers to understand. Greater focus on product design could clear the way for a more streamlined sales process. This would make it profitable for providers and distributors to sell to a wider range of less well-off people. That will encourage people to save.
	Building on Mr. Sandler's suggestions, we will be consulting consumers' representatives, the industry and the FSA on these stakeholder products and how they might be designed. We will be working closely with the FSA who will separately want to consult on how a regime for their sale might be implemented.
	The proposals also represent a real opportunity for the industry and others to think radically about the provision of financial advice. They offer the potential to extend access to low cost, good quality, generic advice to the mass market.
	Mr. Sandler has tackled long-standing concerns about with profit policies, while at the same time recognising the value that many people give to being able to smooth out investment returns. He has recognised that change in this market cannot come over night. Mr. Sandler's balanced approach represents an opportunity to move to a new stable future for with profits.
	The FSA will be consulting on Mr. Sandler's proposals on with profits—which build on earlier work they have carried out—as part of their own continuing consultations on with profits.
	Mr. Sandler's proposals on distribution of investment products, consumer education and investment will produce a more transparent, better-informed and hence more competitive market.
	We will consider Mr. Sandler's proposals on tax as part of the Budget process in the usual way.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Charitable Status

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  for what reasons the Budget proposal to offer mandatory 80 per cent. rate relief to amateur sports clubs has been limited to clubs prepared to register as charities; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what tax concessions will be available to amateur sports clubs that do not have charitable status, with particular reference to those relating to mandatory rate relief; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: For those clubs who do not fulfil the criteria for charitable status, the Chancellor has announced a package of tax reliefs, available directly from the Inland Revenue. The main features are: fundraising income up to 15,000 exempt from tax; income from interest exempt from tax; rental income up to 10,000 exempt from tax; disposals exempt from capital gains tax; gift aid on individual donations; inheritance tax relief on gifts; gifts of assets on no-gain, no-loss basis for capital gains; business relief on gifts of trading stock. Eligible sports will initially be defined with reference to those recognised by the national Sports Councils.
	The presentation of taxation policy is a matter for HM Treasury and the tax relief package for amateur sports clubs proposed in the Treasury consultation document Promoting Sport in the Community did not include mandatory rate relief. However, any non-profit making sports clubs that do not meet the expanded definition of charitable purposes remain eligible for the existing 100 per cent. discretionary rate relief. They could also benefit from the new mandatory relief of up to 50 per cent. proposed for small businesses and non-profit making bodies, where they fall within the rateable value limits of that scheme. This scheme was introduced by the Department of Transport, London and the Regions in the White Paper Strong Local LeadershipQuality Public Services published in December 2001.

Supporters Direct

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the work of Supporters Direct; and what Government resources are available to it.

Richard Caborn: I fully support the work of Supporters Direct, and I congratulate its staff and Board on their efforts in helping to establish supporters' trusts at 57 of the 92 professional clubs in England. I am also very pleased that, with the assistance of funding from the Scottish Executive, the work of Supporters Direct is to be extended to Scotland.
	Supporters Direct receives 250,000 per year from income from the Reduction in Pool Betting Duty under arrangements which expire in March 2003. My Department has, in principle, approved the extension of funding from this source until March 2004. This is subject to the provision of a satisfactory business plan. I expect to receive this shortly with Supporters Direct's assessment of its 200304 funding needs.

Drug Testing

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the report produced for the Chief Executive of UK Sport by Dr. Roger Jackson on the UK system of drug testing; and if she will place a copy in the Library.

Richard Caborn: The issues raised by Dr. Roger Jackson in his informal commentary to UK Sport's Chief Executive were fully considered by UK Sport during its review of anti-doping procedures in the UK. The review formed part of two years' intensive work undertaken by UK Sport in the preparation of the new national anti-doping policy, launched in January 2002. DCMS officials have been in regular discussions with UK Sport about all aspects of the development and implementation of the national anti-doping policy.
	It would not be appropriate to place a copy in the Library as it was not commissioned by UK Sport as a public document. It was a private, informal commentary prepared for the Chief Executive of UK Sport.

Gaming Industry

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on the gaming industry and its potential role in the regeneration of coastal towns in the UK; and what recent discussions she has had with gaming companies;
	(2)  which coastal resorts in the United Kingdom are to be locations for resort casinos; and what assistance will be given to companies to encourage them to locate there;
	(3)  what proposals she has for a pilot project for a gaming designated area; and if she will make a statement on the progress of the development of casinos and gaming shops in coastal areas.

Richard Caborn: Under our proposals for reform of the laws governing gambling in Great Britain, as set out in A Safe Bet for Success, current statutory barriers to the establishment of resort casinoswhether in coastal towns or elsewherewould be removed. Whether such casinos are established will be primarily determined by local authorities, exercising planning and premises licensing responsibilities, and prospective operators themselves, in considering whether and where to make the necessary investment. My Department has had a number of discussions with prospective operators, who anticipate that resort casino developments could have a part to play in local regeneration strategies. It is not, however, the Government's intention to establish a pilot project or to make any special arrangements to encourage the establishment of a resort casino in any individual location.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

World Bank

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when she expects the World Bank's research, supported by the British Government, into the impact of service liberalisation in developing countries to be published.

Clare Short: The World Bank Research Programme on Trade in Services started in 1997 and is due to continue until 2004. The programme aims to generate and draw together data and research, with the objective of improving services trade policy formulation and facilitating the services negotiations at the WTO. One of the central components of the programme is the creation of a database on measures affecting trade in services. Other components include policy research projects, which are expected to result in a series of conceptual and empirical papers.
	All papers and studies produced by the Programme are published on the World bank website http:// www1.worldbank.org/wbiep/trade/services.htm/#overview as they are completed. This website will also provide access to the Trade in Services database, for which the first results are expected to be available by the end of August.

Jenin Refugee Camp

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in the Jenin Refugee Camp in the occupied territories.

Clare Short: Jenin remains under military curfew, and has been subject to intermittent military incursions since the beginning of April 2002, when the Government of Israel began Operation Defensive Shield in the west bank. UNRWA estimates ten per cent. of the camp was destroyed. Over four hundred families have been made homeless, while another 1,200 shelters are in urgent need of repair. The social and economic well being of both the camp and town residents is deteriorating as the incursions and restrictions continue. UNRWA is responding to the situation in Jenin Camp by providing humanitarian supplies, clearing unexploded munitions and rubble, and reinforcing, or removing, damaged buildings. We are in the process of recruiting and funding, on behalf of UNRWA, a small team of engineers to manage the camp rebuilding process.

Dengue Fever

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans are in place to provide funding for the development of a vaccine for dengue fever.

Clare Short: We recognise that dengue is a major public health concern in many developing countries. Global prevalence has grown dramatically in recent decades, with the disease now endemic in more than 100 countries. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 500,000 people are hospitalised with dengue haemorrhagic fever and shock every year.
	In response, vector control and clinical management strategies for dengue require further strengthening. New vaccines would also be of considerable benefit, if used appropriately. Vaccine development for dengue is difficult because any of four different virus strains may cause disease. However, progress is being made in developing vaccines which may protect against all four strains. WHO estimate it may be at least 710 years before vaccines are available for public health use.
	The WHO Tropical Disease Research programme and Health Technology and Pharmaceutical Cluster are leading international efforts to develop an effective and safe dengue vaccine. DFID support to these efforts is through our partnership with WHO, assisting them to develop a collective, coherent organisational response and to work closely with other agencies. DFID has also prioritised the strengthening of health systems to effectively deliver vaccines and other interventions.

Dengue Fever

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much her Department has committed in 200102 to control programmes for dengue fever.

Clare Short: I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer on dengue (67034).
	My Department's support to dengue control is principally through our partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO). In addition to their priority work on dengue vaccine development and other research, WHO are engaged in disease surveillance, prevention and control. DFID's contribution to WHO in 200102 was 10.4 million. We are also providing support to tackling dengue in Central America through a Communicable Disease Control Project with the Pan American Health Organisation, for which 500,000 was disbursed in 200102.
	We have also prioritised efforts to strengthen developing country health systems and improve environmental health, both essential in tackling dengue and other communicable diseases of poverty.

Urban Development Projects

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will provide a breakdown of her Department's expenditure since 199899 on sustainable livelihoods in infrastructure and urban development projects.

Clare Short: The Infrastructure and Urban Development department currently allocates a 3 million annual budget for specific sustainable livelihood projects in both rural and urban areas.
	199899: No budget
	19992000: 615,303
	200001: 2,119,726
	200102: 2,336,165
	200203 (so far): 389,149.
	It should be noted, however, that sustainable livelihoods is a flexible approach, applicable to many different contexts. Sustainable livelihoods approaches are therefore also incorporated into many other infrastructure projects including Water and Sanitation, Energy, ICT, Human Settlements and Engineering Knowledge and Research projects.

Urban Development Projects

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will provide a breakdown of her Department's expenditure since 199899 on information development as part of infrastructure and urban development projects.

Clare Short: My Department has spent 8.75 million since 199899 on focused programmes on 'information and communications technology for development' as part of our infrastructure and urban development work.

Urban Development Projects

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will provide a breakdown of her Department's expenditure since 199899 on appropriate technology as part of infrastructure and urban development projects.

Clare Short: My Department's expenditure on appropriate technology as part of Infrastructure and Urban Development projects since 199899 has been as follows:
	
		
			   million 
		
		
			 199899 9.581 
			 19992000 17.398 
			 200001 9.436 
			 200102 13.413

Urban Development Projects

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will provide a breakdown of her Department's expenditure since 199899 on promoting private sector initiatives as part of infrastructure and urban development projects.

Clare Short: My Department supports a number of important initiatives aimed at promoting various aspects of private sector participation in the provision of infrastructure and urban services, particularly to the poorer sections of the developing world's population.
	These are primarily undertaken in association with other bilateral and multilateral development agencies. During the period in question the Department has contributed the following:
	To the Private/Public Infrastructure Advisory Facility 14.83 million.
	To the Public/Private Partnership for the Urban Environment1.53 million.
	To the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund26.72 million.
	Business Partners for Development1.72 million.
	AID to various small activities1.70 million.

Millennium Development Goals

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total amount was of her Department's financial contributions in 200102 to the Millennium Development goals.

Clare Short: DFID's total consumption of resources in 200102 is provisionally estimated at 3,310 million. Of this, 129 million is accounted for by overseas superannuation payments and our contribution to the Gibraltar Social Insurance Fund. The remainder, estimated at 3,181 million, contributes towards the achievement of the Millennium Development goals.

Pakistan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial contribution her Department will make in 200304 and 200405 in support of Pakistan's Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility.

Clare Short: My Department has made a three-year commitment to provide 105 million, in support of the IMF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility, which was agreed in December of last year. In 200102 DFID disbursed 20 million financial aid to Pakistan. We are planning to provide a further 40 million in 200203, and 45 million in 200304.

International Humanitarian Agencies

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the improvements in the work of international humanitarian agencies that have been assisted by financial support from her Department.

Clare Short: My Department supports improvements in various international humanitarian agencies through jointly agreed Institutional Strategy Partnerships (ISPs) with the agencies which identify long-term priorities. Focus is on developing better systems and procedures at headquarters to ensure that programmes in the field are delivered in a timely, appropriate and effective manner in the event of a crisis. All ISPs are independently evaluated. This funding is provided in addition to grants made to the international humanitarian agencies for response to specific emergencies.

Social Development Programmes

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will provide a breakdown of her Department's expenditure since 199899 on social development knowledge programmes.

Clare Short: The figures given in the table represent an estimate of centrally funded expenditure.
	
		 million 
		
			  Social development research Social science research 
		
		
			 199899 2.0 5.1 
			 19992000 1.4 6.0 
			 200001 1.7 6.6 
			 200102 2.3 8.1 
		
	
	Social development knowledge is also generated from my Department's regional programming, and from support for enhancing research capacity in poorer countries. However, provision of this additional information would entail disproportionate cost.

Bilateral Expenditure

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will provide a breakdown of the expenditure described as 'other bilateral' on page 81 of the Departmental report 2002.

Clare Short: A detailed breakdown of this expenditure is provided in table 4 of annex 1 of the Departmental report, on pages 102 to 105. A revised version of annex 1 of the report with corrected figures will shortly be made available on DFID's website, and a copy placed in the Library of the House of Commons.

Engineering Resource Centre

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will provide a breakdown of her Department's expenditure since 199899 on the engineering resource centre.

Clare Short: My Department has engaged, on a competitive basis, a number of engineering resource centres to provide specialist technical advice and expertise in the infrastructure and urban development sectors. Expenditure on the engagement of these services since 199899 has been as follows:
	
		
			   million 
		
		
			 199899 0.937 
			 19992000 1.165 
			 200001 2.007 
			 200102 1.263

Overseas Offices

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the investment made by her Department in information systems to improve her Department's communication links with overseas offices.

Clare Short: We have an on-going programme of upgrades, the core of which is the Enhanced Overseas Communications Links (EOCL) project costing 8 million. Part of this is a system we are implementing jointly with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
	The links include virtual private networks where sufficient bandwidth is available in country from local internet service providers, and satellite links to other countries. We are also installing internet protocol enabled switches, which allow voice communication (telephone calls) to be carried on the network. 98 per cent. of our overseas staff now have direct links to our central systems.
	The links are capable of carrying video conferencing (VC) facilities and we will shortly commission a 'VC bridge', which will allow simultaneous conferences to up to eight locations.

Social Policy Initiatives

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will provide a breakdown of her Department's expenditure since 199899 on Social Policy Initiatives.

Clare Short: Provision of the information requested would entail disproportionate cost.

UN Programmes

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reforms in the UN Development Programme and the UN Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation have been assisted by financial support from her Department.

Clare Short: UNDP has embarked on an ambitious and wide-ranging reform programme which includes sharpening the focus of UNDP's programmes, improving the quality of its Resident Co-ordinators and developing its results-based management system. DFID has committed about 3.5 million in technical co-operation to support UNDP's reform programme. Our support is helping UNDP to strengthen its results-based management; to strengthen its partnerships with civil society, international financial institutions and the private sector; to focus the UN system around the Millennium Development Goals; and to develop the competencies for senior UNDP posts overseas. DFID is also providing significant support to build UNDP's capacity to respond to crisis and emergency situations.
	DFID has collaborated with UNESCO to develop its results-based programming system and helped with training to the value of 100,000 for UNESCO's staff in project cycle management. DFID is supporting training (750,000) for UNESCO staff in the use of new financial, budget and accounting systems, which support the results-based programming system. DFID also provides support (250,000) for the evaluation work of UNESCO's new internal oversight system.

Departmental Office, East Kilbride

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will provide a breakdown of the costs of the refurbishment of the Department's offices in East Kilbride.

Clare Short: The estimated total budget for the full rehabilitation and the new annex is 17.6 million. The final design of the rehabilitation has still to be completed but the estimates are:
	Annex2.1 million
	Main building rehabilitation11.6 million
	Professional fees1.4 million
	VAT @ 17.5 per cent.2.5 million.

Statistical Capacity

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will provide a breakdown of her Department's expenditure since 199899 on Statistical Capacity referred to on page 104 of the 2002 departmental report.

Clare Short: The Department for International Development is committed to improving the capacity of Governments in developing countries to produce, analyse and disseminate statistical information. This is essential to provide Governments with the information needed to prioritise scarce resources, to develop and monitor effective policies, and to monitor progress towards the Millennium Development Goals.
	The majority of DFID's activities in this area consist of working with partner Governments directly to support their statistical capacity building programmes.
	Recognising that there is a limit to what we can do individually, the Department is also increasingly supporting international statistical capacity building initiatives. This is the 'Statistical Capacity' expenditure given on page 104 of the Departmental Report. This includes providing funding to a World Bank Trust Fund for Statistical Capacity Building (TFSCB), supporting the Partnership in Statistics for development in the 21st Century (PARIS21) initiative (a consortium of statisticians, policy makers and civil society working to improve statistical capacity globally) and supporting poverty monitoring as part of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) and similar country-owned poverty reduction strategies.
	A detailed breakdown is provided in the following table. Please note that this excludes expenditure going directly to countries, which is included within the bilateral country and regional programme expenditure. It also excludes any expenditure on statistics spent through sector programmes such as health or education.
	
		DFID expenditure on international statistical capacity building initiatives -- 000
		
			  19992000 200001 200102 
		
		
			 World Bank TFSCB 227 1,451 1,720 
			 PARIS21 initiative  401 410 
			 PRSP poverty monitoring   400 
			 International comparisons programme   210 
			 World Bank poverty statistician  163 116 
			 Training and research 3 33 241 
			  
			 Total 230 2,049 3,097 
		
	
	As a comparison, the total expenditure going directly to statistical capacity building programmes in 19992000, 200001 and 200102 was 0.5 million, 3.6 million and 5.7 million, respectively. In addition to the expenditure in the table, these totals include some country statistical programmes. But these figures still exclude the majority of statistical capacity building assistance which is normally provided as part of broader development programmes and not recorded separately in our systems as statistical capacity building.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Social Housing

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many English planning appeals in each of the past three years have resulted in increased social housing provision.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether a decision has been taken to authorise the replacement of the existing ozone-depleting CFC-based air conditioning chillers at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre with a new refrigerant system.

Christopher Leslie: The existing QEII Conference Centre air conditioning system uses CFC as a refrigerant. Legislation resulting from the Montreal Protocol proscribes the supply and topping-up of CFCs for the maintenance of refrigeration and air-conditioning systems. Taken together with the age of the existing plant, a replacement system is required.
	Following extensive consultations and evaluation, I have decided to authorise the replacement of the old ozone-depleting CFC air conditioning chillers at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre.
	The optimum replacement solution has been identified as ammonia-based chiller technology, which has no ozone or global warming depletion potential. Ammonia-based chiller technology is widely accepted as the most efficient and environmentally friendly refrigerant, has better whole life costs and represents value for money.
	This decision has been taken fully in accordance with Government policy and the UK climate change programme.

Local Government Finance

Dave Watts: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to pay grant to local authorities under round 4 of the Invest to Save Budget and under the local government on-line programme.

Christopher Leslie: I have today laid before the House a report which sets out my Department's intention to pay some 21.7 million of grant to local authorities to support 23 innovative projects under round 4 of HM Treasury's Invest to Save Budget (ISB).
	As is often the case with pioneering work, there have been some delays for a minority of projects funded under previous ISB rounds in achieving their key milestones. The report therefore contains powers to roll forward unclaimed grant to these projects to enable them to complete their work.
	The report also contains powers to pay grant under the 350 million local government on-line programme of up to 47 million to help develop and support 64 e-government partnerships and up to a further 1.75 million to support further dissemination of best practice from the 25 e-government pathfinders.

Development Plans

Lawrie Quinn: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when his Department will publish guidance on the better management and preparation of development plans.

Tony McNulty: Today I am pleased to announce that we are launching a document called Making plans.
	Development plans are a way of mapping the future for communities and are critical to improving our towns and cities. So it is vital these must be up-to-date to reflect the changing aspirations and priorities of the community. Plans which do not have people at their heart are destined to fail.
	It is time for councils to get on with these plans and not wait for any new legislation as the basic principles of good planning won't change. Plans need to be clear and they need to involve the community.
	The guide makes it clear that many of the principles set out in last December's planning Green Paper can be acted on now. It emphasises the need for a clear strategy with an implementation programme.
	But most of all it stresses a principle central to the Green Paper that real, proper participation by the community from the start of any planning process leads to much better plans at the end.
	The report, produced by the consultants Baker Associates with BDOR and Gradwell Corporate Design, is available in the Library of the House.

Homelessness

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many homeless households were living in (a) bed and breakfast and (b) temporary accommodation in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many households are living in accommodation arranged by local authorities under the homelessness provisions of the Housing Acts 1985 and 1996; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of how many homeless people living in (a) bed and breakfast and (b) temporary accommodation are ex-service men; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  how many homeless people are living in (a) bed and breakfast and (b) temporary accommodation, broken down by ethnic group; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  what estimate he has made of how many children were homeless in England and Wales in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Summary information on activity under statutory homelessness provisions is reported to the Department by local authorities in England. This includes the number of households accepted under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 and 1996 Housing Acts as being eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and the number of these households resident in various types of temporary accommodation at the end of each quarter.
	National and some regional information on local authorities' activity is provided in a quarterly Statistical Release published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Table 6 presents a breakdown of numbers of households in various types of temporary accommodation, including bed and breakfast, as at the end of each quarter since 1995. Copies are available in the Library, and also via the ODPM's website. The latest edition, published on 17 June 2002, presents statistics up to the end of March 2002. A copy is enclosed for the hon. Member's use.
	Available information collected centrally on the number of households living in various forms of temporary accommodation does not distinguish those including ex-service personnel, nor an analysis by ethnic group.
	Precise information on the total number of children in households accepted as homeless is not collected, but rounded estimates derived from data reported by local authorities in England are as follows.
	
		Households accepted as unintentionally homeless and in priority -- need during the year
		
			  Total households with children Estimated number of children 
		
		
			 1997 58,780 104,100 
			 1998 61,400 109,100 
			 1999 62,000 108,400 
			 2000 64,980 112,600 
			 2001 66,970 112,700 
		
	
	Source:
	ODPM quarterly P1E housing activity returns
	For corresponding information about Welsh authorities, I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

Homelessness

David Laws: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people were homeless in (a) England, (b) the South-West, and (c) the Yeovil constituency in each year since 198586; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Yeovil constituency is within South Somerset district council area, which also includes part of the Somerton and Frome constituency. The available information is as follows:
	
		Households accepted by local authorities as unintentionally homeless, and in priority need
		
			   England South West South Somerset district council 
		
		
			 198586 (7)83,710 6,580 171 
			 198687 (7)91,960 6,940 170 
			 198788 (7)98,890 7,260 173 
			 198889 (7)102,500 7,640 124 
			 198990 (7)110,380 8,140 189 
			 199091 (7)128,090 9,040 209 
			 199192 139,630 8,940 236 
			 199293 136,230 8,910 221 
			 199394 125,360 9,550 303 
			 199495 116,850 9,320 353 
			 199596 116,550 9,970 373 
			 199697 110,810 9,450 367 
			 199798 102,650 9,000 331 
			 199899 104,150 8,920 397 
			 19992000 106,130 9,790 416 
			 200001 114,350 11,210 484 
			 200102 118,360 11,200 (8) 
		
	
	1 Denotes calendar year data.
	2 Not yet available.
	Sources:
	England and the South West from 199192:
	ODPM quarterly P1E returns.
	Southern Somerset and South West prior to 199192:
	ODPM annual Housing Investment Programme returns.
	National and some regional information on local authorities' activity in recent years is provided in a quarterly Statistical Release published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Copies are available in the Library, and also via the ODPM's website. The latest edition, published on 17 June 2002, presents statistics up to the end of March 2002.

Public Consultations

Don Foster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the public consultations undertaken by his Department since 1997, indicating for each consultation (a) if copies were available online, (b) if copies were available in print (c) the date the time period given for responses opened and (d) the date the time period given for responses closed.

Christopher Leslie: A full list of the public consultations undertaken by the Office or its predecessors since 1997 has been placed in the Library, including the dates for which the period for responses opened and closed. The list is based on central records and reflects the public consultations undertaken within the areas for which the Office is currently responsible. The Office does not, however, keep central historical records relating to the availability of consultation documents online or in printed form.

Rural Housing

Colin Breed: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the answer of the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions of 2 May 2002, Official Report, column 902W, on rural housing, how many households were identified as being in priority need for housing in each year since 1996 in local authorities defined as rural, broken down by region.

Tony McNulty: Summary information on activity under the statutory homeless provisions of the 1996 Housing Act is reported to the Department by local authorities in England. This includes the number of households accepted as being eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need. The numbers of these households in authorities classified as either mixed rural or deep rural are as follows:
	
		Households accepted as unintentionally homeless and in priority need: rural authorities in England
		
			   Financial year totals  
			  200001 19992000 199899 199798 199697 
		
		
			 North East 1,200 900 900 1,000 1,200 
			 Yorkshire and The Humber 1,200 1,100 1,100 1,000 1,000 
			 East Midlands 1,900 1,700 1,700 1,900 2,000 
			 Eastern 3,000 2,600 2,600 2,700 2,700 
			 London 0 0 0 0 0 
			 South East 2,900 2,500 2,400 2,400 2,600 
			 South West 4,800 4,300 3,900 3,800 3,800 
			 West Midlands 1,000 900 900 800 1,000 
			 North West 1,100 1,000 900 800 1,000 
			 All rural local authorities 17,200 15,100 14,400 14,500 15,200 
		
	
	Notes:
	Includes estimates for any non-responding local authorities.
	Numbers are rounded to the nearest 100.
	Source:
	DTLR P1(E) housing activity returns.

Consultation Papers

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the White, Green and consultation papers his Department plans to issue within the next year.

John Prescott: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will issue whatever White, Green and consultation papers are necessary for the conduct of its business.

Queen's Jubilee Medal (Fire Service)

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many firemen will receive the Queen's Jubilee Medal; and how many fire controllers will not receive the Queen's Jubilee Medal.

Christopher Leslie: Records are currently being checked by brigades to ascertain how many firefighters meet the detailed eligibility criteria for receipt of the Jubilee Medal. While there are 33,200 whole-time firefighters and 15,000 retained, we estimate that around 6,000 of these will not meet the criteria. There are approximately 1,500 control room staff none of whom will qualify for the award under the eligibility criteria set up by the Inter-departmental Steering Group established for this purpose.

Housing Investment

Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what was the cash value of Government investment in housing, excluding (a) housing benefit, (b) mortgage tax relief and (c) council tax relief in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The following table shows housing capital resources allocated to local authorities in each year since 1997.
	
		Housing capital resources(7) --  million
		
			Allocations to local authorities(8)  
			  HIP(9) Capital receipts initiative Other(10) Total Housing corp. ADP(11) Other(12) Total 
		
		
			 199798 692 174 60 926 727  1,653 
			 199899 612 569 30 1,211 732  1,943 
			 19992000 682 570  1,252 816  2,068 
			 200001 770  1,622 2,392 808 70 3,270 
			 200203 881  1,704 2,585 941 140 3,666 
		
	
	(7) Figures exclude extra resources for housing PFI schemes (760 million for 200102 to 200304).
	(8) Estate Action allocations, which were treated as housing allocations up to 199495 but now come under regeneration, are excluded. Capital grants for gypsy sites are also not included.
	(9) The Housing Investment Programme (HIP) figures exclude the element for expenditure financed from authorities' capital receipts included in allocations to individual authorities.
	(10) Other allocations cover: Major Repairs Allowance (from 200102), Arms Length Companies (from 200303), and Cash Incentive Schemes (199798 to 199899).
	(11) The Housing Corporation ADP figures are net figures and include support for City Challenge(199798 to 199899), Rough Sleepers Initiative, ERCF schemes, Major Repairs Initiative (from 19992000), and remodelling works (from 19992000).
	(12) This covers the Starter Homes Initiative and the Safer Communities Supported Housing Fund.

House Building

Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many houses have been built in (a) London, and (b) each county in the south of England in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The figures for the number of permanent dwellings completed since 1997 are given in the table. They are shown in the county structure of 1997 prior to local government restructure.
	
		House building: permanent dwellings completed -- Number of dwellings
		
			 Region 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 London 13,074 12,898 12,704 12,962 14,564 
			   
			 South East  
			 Berkshire 2,207 2,604 2,292 2,564 2,288 
			 Buckinghamshire 3,322 2,870 2,670 2,655 2,465 
			 East Sussex 2,002 1,779 1,814 1,724 1,992 
			 Hampshire 6,272 4,854 4,596 4,189 3,858 
			 Isle of Wight 665 394 398 365 358 
			 Kent 3,935 4,098 4,239 4,564 4,511 
			 Oxfordshire 1,797 2,526 2,448 2,113 1,850 
			 Surrey 2,673 2,462 2,439 2,310 2,607 
			 West Sussex 2,776 2,533 2,015 1,763 1,506 
			   
			 South West  
			 Avon 5,444 3,523 2,899 2,351 2,190 
			 Cornwall 1,424 1,935 1,923 2,108 2,150 
			 Devon 3,567 3,099 3,668 3,114 3,187 
			 Dorset 2,215 1,819 2,082 1,968 2,014 
			 Gloucestershire 1,773 1,902 1,665 1,687 1,683 
			 Somerset 1,443 1,490 1,806 1,826 1,775 
			 Wiltshire 2,839 2,684 2,019 2,240 2,329

Station Houses

Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many station houses have been provided for key workers in London in each year since 1997.

Nick Raynsford: The Fire Service has single person quarters in four dwellings in London. Each provides accommodation for four fire fighters, let on a non-secure tenant basis.

Mayoral Management

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister for what reasons he decided to end the practice of compulsory referendums for mayoral management of local authorities.

Nick Raynsford: I set out the reasons behind the Government's approach to the use of the Secretary of State's powers to direct councils to hold mayoral referendums in the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz) on 25 June 2002, Official Report, columns 81213W. Within the framework of freedoms and flexibilities that we are introducing for councils, we believe it is more appropriate for councils themselves to make and justify to local people their own judgments on the outcome of any consultation about proposals for a new constitution.
	It continues to be the case that where 5 per cent. or more of a local authority's electorate sign a petition calling for a mayoral referendum to be held, the council will be required to hold such a referendum.

Social Landlords

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Government plan to introduce financial incentives to encourage the transfer of council homes to social landlords; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: We have no plans to do so at present.

Decent Homes Target

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress has been made on achieving the Government's decent homes target; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: Based on social landlords' current plans, we believe we are on course to meet our 2004 milestone target to reduce by one-third the number of households living in social housing that is not of a decent standard. We will be able to report on progress during 200102 later in the year once Government offices have completed their assessment of local authority business plans and the Housing Corporation has considered housing association decent home returns.

Thames River Crossing

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 26 June 2002, ref. 63796, on a new Thames crossing, if his Department has been invited to the Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership's meeting in July on the possibility of a new Thames crossing; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not been invited to a meeting with the Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership in July to discuss proposals for a new Thames crossing.

Thames River Crossing

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when local councillors and local hon. Members will be invited to the summit between Government Ministers, hon. Members, officials and council leaders, to discuss plans for a new Thames river crossing, east of Dartford; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: No such summit is planned at this time.

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much money was spent by the relevant pension fund on paying pensions to retired (a) local government employees and (b) firefighters in 200102; if he will estimate the corresponding amounts to be spent in (i) five years' time, (ii) 10 years' time, (iii) 20 years' time and (iv) 30 years' time; if he will estimate in each case the proportion of such liabilities which will arise from (A) unfunded pension schemes and (B) pre-funded pension schemes; and in the case of pre-funded schemes, if he will estimate the value of the corresponding pre-funded funds in each of these years.

Nick Raynsford: The Local Government Pension Scheme (the LGPS) is a funded scheme administered at local level by authorities in England and Wales. For the year 200001, the latest for which we hold information, payments for LGPS pensioner members amounted to 3.5 billion.
	The Firefighters' Pension Scheme (the FPS) is also administered locally by individual fire authorities. Its liabilities are not subject to pension funds. For 200001, the latest year for which returns are available, the provisional net total of payments under the scheme for fire authorities in England was 250 million.
	Estimates of projected liability expenditure from both the funded LGPS and the unfunded FPS are not held centrally for the periods in question.

Housing (South-west)

David Laws: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what action he is taking to increase the supply of affordable housing in south Somerset; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effects of the increase in property prices in south-west England since 1999; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Government recognise the pressures on affordable housing in many parts of the country, including south Somerset. Through the Housing Corporation the Government will provide 1.8 million towards delivering affordable housing in south Somerset this year. This represents an increase of 200,000 on last year, when 160 affordable housing units were provided most of which were for rent.
	According to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Survey of Mortgage Lenders, house prices in south-west England rose by 31.8 per cent. during the three years 1999 to 2001. Home ownership is affordable for most people. Homeowners are benefiting from low interest rates, low unemployment and robust income growth. For people purchasing a home in south-west England during 2001, total mortgage payments averaged 17.44 per cent. of their income. This compares to 28.42 per cent. of income in 1990, and is lower than 1999 (17.91 per cent.) and 2000 (19.43 per cent.). However we are well aware that there can be serious problems for many first time buyers in areas of high demand.

Public Amenity Buildings

Sue Doughty: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) schools, (b) hospitals, (c) housing and (d) other public amenities were built on (i) greenfield, (ii) brownfield and (iii) former landfill sites in each year since 1997; on each occasion what was the nature of funding for the scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: For housing, the number of dwellings completed in England each year between 1997 and 2001 was as follows:
	1997: 149,100
	1998: 141,400
	1999: 140,200
	2000: 136,700
	2001: 127,700 dwellings.
	The proportion of dwellings built on previously developed land ('brownfield land'), including conversions, was as follows:
	1997: 56 per cent.
	1998: 58 per cent.
	1999: 59 per cent.
	2000: 60 per cent.
	2001: 61 per cent. (provisional).
	The proportion on former landfill sites is not available annually but is estimated at around 0.1 per cent. of all dwellings.
	For the other categories requested, the latest available reliable estimates are for 1997 and for the area of land. In England in 1997, an estimated 575 hectares changed to community buildings, covering (a), (b) and (d), excluding leisure and recreational buildings. Of these, around 355 hectares (62 per cent.) came from previously developed land. Less than five hectares came from minerals and landfill.
	Information on funding is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Houses in Multiple Occupation

Don Foster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many houses in multiple occupation have had their licences revoked in areas where local authority licensing schemes are in place, broken down by local authority, in the last year.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Houses in Multiple Occupation

Don Foster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which local authorities have compulsory registration schemes for houses in multiple occupation; and how long each of these schemes has been in place.

Tony McNulty: The following local authorities in England have adopted compulsory registration schemes for houses in multiple occupation. The date in column three is the date on which the scheme began (if known).
	
		
			 Government office region  Authority Date 
		
		
			 South East Ashford  
			  Basingstoke and Deane  
			  Brighton and Hove 1 April 2002 
			  Canterbury 1 September 1998 
			  Cherwell  
			  Dacorum  
			  Dover 1 May 2001 
			  East Hertfordshire  
			  Eastbourne 31 March 2000 
			  Gravesham  
			  Guildford 1 June 1998 
			  Hastings 3 September 2001 
			  Newbury  
			  North Hertfordshire  
			  Oxford 1 September 1999 
			  Portsmouth 1 September 1997 
			  Rother  
			  Rushmoor  
			  Shepway 20 November 2000 
			  Southampton 1 January 1999 
			  Surrey Heath  
			  Test Valley 8 March 1995 
			  Thanet 2 March 1998 
			  West Berkshire  
			  West Oxfordshire  
			  Wokingham  
			  Worthing  
			
			 South West Bournemouth 1 July 1998 
			  Bristol 1 March 1999 
			  Cheltenham 3 March 1999 
			  Isles of Scilly  
			  Mid Devon  
			  North Somerset 1 July 1999 
			  Stroud  
			  Torbay  
			  West Devon  
			  Weymouth and Portland  
			
			 London Barking and Dagenham 1 June 2001 
			  Bexley 30 April 2000 
			  Brent 1 July 1999 
			  Bromley 1 March 2001 
			  Camden 3 March 1999 
			  Croydon 1 March 1999 
			  Ealing 1 April 1998 
			  Greenwich 1 January 1991 
			  Hackney 1 March 1999 
			  Hammersmith and Fulham 21 July 2001 
			  Haringey 1 May 2001 
			  Harrow 10 January 2000 
			  Hillingdon  
			  Hounslow 12 January 1998 
			  Islington 1 October 1998 
			  Kingston upon Thames  
			  Lambeth 1 August 1999 
			  Lewisham 1 August 1991 
			  Newham 1 March 1999 
			  Southwark 1 July 1999 
			  Sutton  
			  Tower Hamlets  
			  Westminster 5 April 1999 
			
			 East Basildon 1 August 1999 
			  Cambridge 31 May 1999 
			  Colchester 1 September 1998 
			  Fenland  
			  King's Lynn and West Norfolk  
			  Luton 1 April 1999 
			  Mid Bedfordshire  
			  North Norfolk  
			  Peterborough 1 January 2000 
			  St Albans 4 March 1999 
			  Tendring  
			  Watford 1 July 1999 
			  Waveney  
			
			 East Midlands Derby 1 July 1999 
			  Kettering  
			  Mansfield 2 June 1999 
			  Melton  
			  Newark and Sherwood 1 November 1999 
			  Nottingham 1 June 2001 
			  Rushcliffe  
			
			 West Midlands Birmingham 13 December 1995 
			  Bromsgrove  
			  Herefordshire 1 October 1999 
			  North Warwickshire 30 May 2000 
			  Redditch  
			  Wolverhampton 1 August 1995 
			  Wyre Forest  
			
			 North West Allerdale  
			  Barrow In Furness  
			  Blackpool 1 April 1998 
			  Bolton  
			  Bury  
			  Carlisle  
			  Chester  
			  Lancaster 1 October 1998 
			  Preston  
			  Salford  
			  Sefton  
			  Warrington  
			  Wigan  
			  Wirral 1 August 1999 
			
			 Yorkshire and Humberside Barnsley 10 July 1998 
			  Calderdale  
			  Doncaster 1 April 2001 
			  East Riding of Yorkshire  
			  Harrogate  
			  Hull 10 January 2000 
			  Kirklees 26 January 1998 
			  North East Lincolnshire 1 April 1998 
			  North Lincolnshire  
			  Scarborough 10 April 1995 
			  Sheffield 2 April 2000 
			  York 1 March 1998 
			
			 North East Blyth Valley  
			  Castle Morpeth  
			  Darlington 1 August 1999 
			  Gateshead  
			  Middlesbrough  
			  Stockton on Tees  
			  Sunderland 1 April 2002

Starter Home Initiative

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which companies submitted bids for the grant awarded to Northcote KeyStart Homes under the second round of the Starter Home Initiative; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Bids for Starter Home Initiative (SHI) Round 2 funding were invited from registered social landlords, local authorities and key worker employers. Northcote Housing Association was allocated 1.056 million SHI Round 2 funding to assist a total of 103 key workers in Buckinghamshire, Slough, Reading and Oxford. The funding will be used to provide 10,000 equity loans to key workers in these areas to assist their house purchase. The funding allocated also includes 25,750 towards the Association's costs in administering the scheme.

Local Authority Staff

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of how many people were employed by local authorities in England in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: The numbers of employees in local authorities in England in the last five years are given in the table.
	
		Numbers employed by local authorities in England(13)
		
			 Full time equivalents Thousand 
		
		
			 Mid-year counts(14)  
			 1998 1,404 
			 1999 1,420 
			 2000 1,435 
			 2001 1,474 
			 2002(15) 1,495 
		
	
	(13) Excludes police and magistrates courts
	(14) End of June
	(15) End of March
	Source:
	Office for National Statistics

Housing (North-East Lancashire)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to improve housing conditions in North-east Lancashire; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: We have selected east Lancashire as one of nine Market Renewal Pathfinders, aiming to provide lasting solutions for communities blighted by low demand housing. Under this initiative east Lancashire has been allocated 2.66 million of pump-prime funding to undertake background analysis and help develop a delivery process and master plan. Substantive funding is being considered as part of the comprehensive spending review specifically to tackle this issue of housing abandonment.
	Nationally housing capital resources through the housing investment programme will rise to some 2.6 billion in 200304 and east Lancashire should benefit from this increase. Four east Lancashire authorities are receiving from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund some 20 million over the three years to 2004 in addition to other European and domestic funding for regeneration. Housing investment is more effective when used in conjunction with wider regeneration initiatives.

Children in Care

Paul Burstow: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer regarding children in care of 1 July 2002, Official Report, column 196W, what information he collates on children in care who are (a) homeless, (b) in bed and breakfast accommodation and (c) in temporary accommodation.

Tony McNulty: Local authorities are obliged to ensure that children in care are placed in settings that are approved to meet their needs. Therefore they would not be homeless. Given local authorities' responsibilities towards children in their care it would be rare for a child in care ever to be placed in temporary or bed and breakfast accommodation.
	On 31 March 2001 38,400 (65 per cent.) children were placed with foster carers, 6,200 (10 per cent.) were placed in children's homes, 3,100 (6 per cent.) were placed with families approved under the Adoption Agency regulations and there were 6,900 (12 per cent.) children who were placed with parents.

Planning

David Laws: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether planning authorities are obliged to take into account relevant sections of the Human Rights Act 1998 before reaching conclusions on planning matters; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The introduction of the Human Rights Act means that all public authorities, including central Government and local authorities, must act compatibly with rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. In planning this means that decision makers at all levels in the planning process must consider what impact their decisions may have on the human rights of parties affected by them before reaching a conclusion.

Homelessness

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister for each London borough for the latest available date, how many families were in bed-and-breakfast accommodation under homelessness provisions; and what the average cost was to the housing benefit budget for each family.

Tony McNulty: Latest available information, in respect of all homeless households as reported by London boroughs, is as follows:
	
		Homeless households in bed and breakfast accommodation(16) provided by London boroughs, and housing benefit costs
		
			   Number of households reported as at 31 March 2002 Housing benefit subsidy 200001 () Number of household days provided during 200001 Average housing benefit subsidy per household 200001 ( per week) 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 19 0 395 0.00 
			 Barnet 154 4,318,364 91,447 330.56 
			 Bexley 50 394,360 25,753 107.19 
			 Brent 631 3,133,652 172,715 127.00 
			 Bromley 104 905,376 46,426 136.51 
			 Camden 157 1,984,626 103,295 134.49 
			 Corporation of London 7 216,857 14,058 107.98 
			 Croydon 539 (17) (17) (17) 
			 Ealing 619 1,649,055 106,626 108.26 
			 Enfield 188 (17) (17) (17) 
			 Greenwich 21 0 0 0.00 
			 Hackney 155 (17) (17) (17) 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 549 1,885,236 121,910 108.25 
			 Haringey 166 7,566,028 319,956 165.53 
			 Harrow 9 845,092 56,552 104.61 
			 Havering 0 (17) (17) (17) 
			 Hillingdon 481 2,522,971 87,500 201.84 
			 Hounslow 310 1,135,275 64,350 123.50 
			 Islington 94 2,283,611 61,262 260.93 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 436 5,171,930 (18) (18) 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 8 149,106 7,886 132.35 
			 Lambeth 353 0 (18) 0.00 
			 Lewisham 0 0 0 0.00 
			 Merton 57 239,853 14,112 118.97 
			 Newham 782 3,078,413 187,706 114.80 
			 Redbridge 267 1,773,346 96,360 128.82 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 77 (17) (17) (17) 
			 Southwark 233 1,261,741 83,783 105.42 
			 Sutton 46 541,947 32,322 117.37 
			 Tower Hamlets 341 2,568,636 65,731 273.55 
			 Waltham Forest 91 (18) (18) (18) 
			 Wandsworth 445 1,421,638 70,733 140.69 
			 Westminster 851 5,503,102 385,436 99.94 
		
	
	(16) Bed and breakfast includes hotel annexe-style accommodation with shared facilities. Cases include those accommodated pending completion of inquiries prior to a decision, and any households found to be intentionally homeless being housed for a limited period only.
	(17) Denotes non-response to the survey
	(18) Denotes data not available
	Note:
	Average subsidy is derived from the aggregate reported housing benefit subsidy and the total number of nights provision.
	Sources:
	ODPM quarterly P1E housing returns; GLA monthly homelessness survey. CIPFA Homelessness Statistics 200001 Actuals annual survey.

Housing (Learning Disability)

Andrew Love: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what discussions are taking place with the local authority associations regarding the housing needs of people with a learning disability who live with older parents; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what guidance is forwarded to local authorities regarding the priority for housing provision to be given to people with a learning disability whose elderly parents are no longer able to care for them; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what steps are being taken to ensure that all local authorities are developing a comprehensive support programme for people with a learning disability; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government's strategy for improving services for people with learning disabilities and their families is set out in the White Paper Valuing People: A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21st Century (Cm 5086), published in March 2001. Implementation guidance HSC 2001/016: LAC(2001)23 was issued to local authorities on 31 August 2001. Copies are available in the Library.
	Our strategy sets out a range of targets and objectives to support and improve the lives of people with learning disabilities and their families. Key to the implementation of these changes are learning disability partnership boards now established in each local authority area. All partnership boards have prepared local joint investment plans to improve services for this vulnerable group of people. Partnership boards are being supported in the delivery of the White Paper objectives by a director of implementation and a valuing people support team with members based in each of the nine social services regions. There is also the learning disability task force which will monitor implementation and report progress to Ministers who in turn will report to Parliament.
	Valuing People recognises the concern about the position of people with learning disabilities living with older carers. They and their families must be able to plan for the future in good time. Promoting supported living for this group of people is one of the priorities for both the revenue and capital elements of the 42 million learning disability development fund announced in the White Paper. The fund has been distributed to the new learning disability partnership boards from April 2002 to support the implementation of Valuing People. The needs of elderly carers and the development of supported living approaches for people with learning disabilities living with older carers are also identified as priorities in the implementation guidance, which was sent to all local authority chief executives, social services directors and directors of housing.
	Partnership boards, working with local housing authorities, people with learning disabilities, carers and service providers; are required to develop local housing strategies by winter 200203. Joint guidance will be issued shortly by the Department of Health and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to help partnership boards develop their local housing strategies. The valuing people support team will also provide specialist support and advice to help this process. An important element in the development of each strategy will be the assessment of both current and future need which will include identifying people with learning disabilities and their carers who need support now and in the future. The joint guidance will restate the priority that should be given to people with learning disabilities living with older carers. Local housing authorities also have a responsibility to produce a housing strategy which sets out plans addressing the range of housing needs in their area. This includes all groups with special needs where the strategy must link into provision of associated support services.
	Both the local government association and the association of directors of social services are represented on the new learning disability task force. A key function of the task force is to oversee implementation of Valuing People. the director of implementation also met recently with the local government association to discuss housing issues.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum Accommodation Centres

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what area of land is required to construct each of the proposed asylum accommodation centres.

Beverley Hughes: I apologise for the delay in answering this question due to an administrative oversight in my Department. It is envisaged that in order to provide a full range of on-site services for a total of 750 asylum seekers, a site of around 20 to 25 acres will be required.

Asylum Accommodation Centres

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact on local (a) labour markets and (b) small businesses of the establishment of asylum accommodation centres in remote rural locations; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: These assessments are being made as part of the planning process.

Asylum Accommodation Centres

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 10 June 2002, Official Report, column 803W, on RAF Turnhouse, for what reasons his Department has not reached a final decision on the suitability of RAF Turnhouse for an asylum seeker accommodation centre.

Beverley Hughes: Immediate priority has been given to the three sites for which it has been decided to submit planning notifications. A final decision on the sites still under consideration, including the Royal Air Force (RAF) Turnhouse, has not been reached simply because further work on evaluation is still in progress. As I have stated previously, we will reach a decision as soon as possible on the suitability of RAF Turnhouse.

Asylum Accommodation Centres

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 10 June 2002, Official Report, column 803W, on RAF Turnhouse, which of the criteria listed (a) Killingholme and (b) Hooton Park failed to meet.

Beverley Hughes: We do not consider there to be any genuine public interest in disclosing the reasons why sites have been found to be unsuitable for the development of accommodation centres.

Special Advisers

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times special advisers have accompanied Ministers on overseas visits in each of the last five years; which countries were visited; and what the total cost of each individual visit was.

David Blunkett: holding answer 10 April 2002
	All travel by special advisers is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.
	Between 1 April 2000 and 31 March 2002, special advisers have accompanied the Home Secretary abroad on six occasions at an average total cost of 2,030.02 for all involved in the trip. the countries visited were Spain, France and Belgium. Information for the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 2000 is already in the public domain.

Digital Television

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of subscriptions to (a) digital terrestrial, (b) digital satellite and (c) digital cable television held by his Department for services in any departmental building from which Ministers work, stating for each subscription its (i) cost and (ii) purpose.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 10 April 2002
	The Home Department does not pay any subscription to (a) digital terrestrial and (b) digital satellite television. The Department does pay subscriptions to (c) digital cable television used in a departmental building from which Ministers work. Use of these services is limited to Ministers' private offices, the Legal Advisers Branch and the Communications Directorate. Details of cost and purpose are as follows:
	Subscription: 37 digital cable subscriptions 420.00.
	Cost per year: 15,540.00.
	Purpose: To monitor upcoming and breaking news, and parliamentary news to brief Ministers.
	Private offices which support Home Office Ministers, pay an annual maintenance cost of 1,231 for a range of services, including a live feed from the Commons and Lords chambers, and access to House of Commons/ Lords annunciator.

Ministerial Salaries

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the annual cost was of ministerial salaries in his Department in (a) 199798 and (b) 200102.

David Blunkett: The level of ministerial salaries are recommended by the Senior Salaries Review Body.
	During the period May 1997 to March 1998, in this Department there was one Cabinet Minister, at an annual salary of 43,991; two Ministers of State, at an annual salary of 31,125; and three Parliamentary Under- Secretaries of State, one in the Lords at an annual salary of 43,632 and two in the Commons at an annual salary of 23,623.
	From June 2001, there was one Cabinet Minister, at an annual salary of 68,157; three Ministers of State, two in the Commons at an annual salary of 35,356 and one in the Lords at an annual salary of 68,283; and three Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State, at an annual salary of 26,835.

Departmental Expenditure Limit

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much and what proportion of the departmental expenditure limit for 200203 will be accounted for by staff costs; what the figures were for 200102; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  200102 200203 
		
		
			 Annual departmental expenditure limit (DEL) ( million) 10,731 10,230 
			 Staff costs ( million) 1,477 1,688 
			 Staff costs as proportion of annual DEL (Percentage) 13.8 16.5 
		
	
	The 200102 DEL includes 826 million from the DEL Reserve, voted in the Spring Supplementary Estimates, mainly to fund asylum expenditure. If this is discounted, the staff costs for 200102 constitute 16.1 per cent. of the DEL.

Asylum Seekers

Eric Joyce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers living in Falkirk, West constituency are awaiting (a) the outcome of their asylum applications and (b) the outcome of appeals against decisions made in respect of their asylum applications.

Beverley Hughes: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Cathcart (Mr. Harris) on 11 June 2002, Official Report, column 1231W.

Asylum Seekers

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what level of in-kind support is available to asylum seekers in NASS accommodation.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 4 July 2002
	The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) accommodation is fully furnished including items such as crockery and kitchen utensils. The costs of accommodation including associated utility bills and council tax are met centrally.

Access to Information

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the administrative manuals and internal guidance which his Department has made public as required by Part 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information; and which of these were first made available after May 1997.

David Blunkett: Since the Home Office publishes considerable amounts of information, it is not possible to identify all that falls in this category without disproportionate diversion of resources and further delay. However, as work proceeds on the development of a publication scheme under the Freedom of Information Act, we intend to increase the volume of such material in accordance with recommended practice. The publication scheme will be operational in November this year and will set out the classes of information that the Home Office will publish routinely. We aim to include information from administrative manuals and internal guidance.

Firearms

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many deaths were attributable to firearms in the last year in Portsmouth, South; how many of these were with licensed firearms; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: There were no deaths attributable to firearms, recorded by the police in Hampshire for 200001 (year ending March).
	The Home Office firearms database does not hold figures for locations below police force area. Information relating to the number of licensed firearms is recorded on a calendar basis, figures for 2001 are not currently available.

Drug Arrests

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drug arrests there were in the Portsmouth, South constituency in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: Information on the number of persons arrested for notifiable offences is collected by police force area only. Available data on the number of persons arrested for drugs offences within the Hampshire police force area are given in the table for the years 19992000 and 200001. Statistics for 200102 will be available in the autumn.
	
		Number of persons arrested for drug offences in Hampshire police force area
		
			  Number of persons 
		
		
			 19992000 3,768 
			 200001 3,059

Crack Cocaine

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals were arrested for possession of crack cocaine in Weston-Super-Mare in the past five years.

Bob Ainsworth: The information is not collected centrally at the level required.

Marsham Street

Debra Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what art will be incorporated within his new headquarters on Marsham Street; and what resources have been allocated to art as (a) an overall figure and (b) a percentage of the final capital value of the new headquarters.

Beverley Hughes: This is a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) project being carried out by Annes Gate Property plc for the Home Department. The current scheme design agreed by Annes Gate Property with Westminster city council includes provision for art as this was a key consideration in the planning application discussions. The indicative capital sum provided in Annes Gate Property's cost plan is approximately one per cent. of the total capital spend. The art element is generally integrated into the scheme and relates to treatment of external finishes, elements of the hard landscaping, external lighting and other items as detailed in the planning consent.

Brixton Prison

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many Irish prisoners who died in Brixton during the last six years were on suicide watch; and whether in each case guidelines were followed;
	(2)  whether the relevant cell alarm system was in working order on each occurrence of a cell death in Brixton during the last five years;
	(3)  how many prisoners have died in HMP Brixton since 1995.

Hilary Benn: The tables detail the 14 self-inflicted deaths and three deaths by natural causes that have occurred at Brixton since 1995. Four of the 14 were Irish citizens and a further three of Irish extraction. One prisoner of Irish extraction was subject to intermittent observation and the investigation under way is reviewing the care he received.
	Cell alarm systems are checked as a matter of routine, but there is no record available to show that alarms, in every cell where deaths occurred, were working at the time. Cell alarms checked, or their use noted, as part of an investigation into a death in custody, but only where it is considered relevant.
	Issues about the use of a cell alarm were addressed in one investigation, with no evidence found to support claims made that an alarm was activated but not responded to.
	
		Deaths at HMP Brixton: 19952002
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Self-inflicted deaths  
			 1995 0 
			 1996 1 
			 1997 2 
			 1998 1 
			 1999 4 
			 2000 2 
			 2001 2 
			 2002(19) 2 
			  
			 Total 14 
			   
			 Natural causes deaths  
			 1995 1 
			 1996 0 
			 1997 0 
			 1998 1 
			 1999 0 
			 2000 1 
			 2001 0 
			 2002(19) 0 
			  
			 Total 3 
		
	
	(19) As at 25 June 2002

Visitors' Bonds Scheme

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on Government proposals to introduce a visitors' bonds scheme.

Beverley Hughes: A consultation paper, Financial Bonds for Visitors, was issued in October 1999. This sought views on a number of key questions, including the scope of any scheme, the nature and amount of the bond, and the locations for the proposed pilot study.
	The response to the consultation paper was generally negative. Many respondentsparticularly those from the ethnic minority communitiessimply did not support the idea of a bond scheme, either in principle or because of worries over discrimination or affordability. Of those who responded more positively, many wanted a very low level of bond that would not have offered sufficient disincentive to fraud. The scheme also attracted considerable adverse reaction from the countries proposed for a pilot study.
	Simultaneously, work on moving towards a more flexible approach to the operation of the immigration control made it difficult to design a simple, quick scheme for providing a bond facility for visitors and recording their entry to and departure from the United Kingdom.
	It was also considered that the re-introduction of a right of appeal for family visitors in October 2000 would provide a more effective way of addressing the concerns of the ethnic minority community about visa refusals for family visits.
	For all these reasons it was decided not to pursue the proposed pilot schemea decision that was generally widely welcomed. An announcement to this effect was made in a response to a parliamentary question from my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz) on 28 July 2000.
	The White Paper Secure Borders, Safe Haven, published in February 2002, explained the negative response to the financial bond scheme proposals. It also referred to exploring community-based or other collective mechanisms, or a way of requiring people to report back to posts when they return, and invited views. We are currently considering the responses.

0870 Telephone Numbers

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on using 0870 telephone numbers for inquiries by the public to the Department and its agencies.

Beverley Hughes: The Home Department has no central policy on this matter. Each case is decided on its merits.

Indefinite Leave to Remain

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons came to the UK as visitors in 2001 and subsequently applied for indefinite leave to remain.

Beverley Hughes: The requested information is not currently available.

Air Weapons

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many offences were recorded involving the use of an air weapon in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what advice he has received from the Firearms Consultative Committee on the purchase, possession and use of air guns; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what progress he has made in implementing the recommendations which the Government accepted from the Home Affairs Committee's report, Controls over firearms; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  if he will introduce a licensing scheme for air rifles; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  how many offences resulting in injury to the person were recorded involving the use of an air weapon; and how many of these are recorded as attempted murder or other acts endangering life in each year since 1997;
	(6)  what action he plans to take on controls on air rifles following the shooting with an air rifle; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 1 July 2002
	The Government totally condemns the misuse of air weapons and has the deepest sympathy for Tommy Morris and those others who are seriously injured by people who use their guns in an irresponsible or criminal manner. The question of introducing a licensing regime for air weapons as recommended by the Home Affairs Select Committee has been carefully considered by the Government. As the committee recognised, there are resource implications in setting up and running an effective registration system and we are reviewing these practical issues as part of an overall assessment of the effectiveness of the existing wide range of controls governing the sale and use of air weapons.
	Information about the number of offences involving the use of air weapons, and the number of resulting injuries in each year since 1997, is given in the following table:
	
		Violence against a person
		
			  1997(20) 199899(21) 19992000 200001 
		
		
			 Air weapon offences 7,506 8,665 10,103 10,227 
			 Offences resulting in slight injury 1,065 1,381 1,806 1,654 
			 Offences resulting in serious injury 129 133 171 166 
			 Homicide1 
			 Attempted murder and other acts (including wounding) endangering life 75 88 80 62 
		
	
	(20) Calendar year.
	(21) There was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998. Crime figures no longer exclude offences where the value of criminal damage is under 20. 75 per cent. of air weapon offences consisted of criminal damage.
	The laws concerning air weapons are already very strict, as are the penalties for misuse. We believe that much can be done to improve the situation through the enforcement of existing legislation and public education, and we are at present considering the Firearms Consultative Committee's advice on how this should be taken forward. The shooting associations and the police are already working closely together and have launched a campaign designed to create a greater awareness of the requirements of the law and to emphasise the basic principles of safe and responsible shooting. We believe that this will help to check the rise in criminal damage and to sustain the welcome reduction last year in the total number of injuries.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason he has not yet replied to the letter to him dated 18 March from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to an Afghan asylum-seeker ref. DEV/OU/1506.

David Blunkett: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I provided to him on 2 July 2002, Official Report, column 264W.

Correspondence

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan of 1 May on animal experimentation.

Bob Ainsworth: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 8 May 2002.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 30 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. F. A. Malik.

David Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 27 June 2002.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason he has not yet replied to the letter to him dated 9 April, from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Rahemi Aminullah.

David Blunkett: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I provided to him on 1 July 2002, Official Report, column 180W.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason he has not yet replied to the letter to him dated 22 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. S. Balekey.

David Blunkett: My right hon. Friend's letter of 22 April 2002 was not received by the Home Office until 7 June 2002. It was then immediately forwarded to the Immigration and Nationality Department (Integrated Casework Directorate) for consideration.
	A reply was sent to my office for signature on 27 June 2002, and despatched on the same date.

Drug and People Smuggling

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with European counterparts regarding increased co-operation between police forces in tackling drug smuggling and people smuggling.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 3 July 2002
	My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and I have regular discussions with our European counterparts about increased police co-operation in tackling organised and international crime. Most recently, at the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 13 June 2002, the Home Secretary stressed the need for action at European Union (EU) level to combat illegal immigration and trafficking in human beings. This was subsequently reflected in the conclusions of the Seville European Council.
	In advance of the Danish presidency of the EU, the Home Secretary met with the Danish Justice Minister on 19 June 2002 and discussed the issue of drug trafficking at EU level. The United Kingdom (UK) will work with the Danish presidency to ensure that the framework decision on drug trafficking is agreed as soon as possible, and that the mid-term review of the EU Action Plan against Drugs is productive in taking forward co-operation at EU level.
	The Home Secretary also met with the French Interior Minister, M. Sarkozy, for bilateral talks on 25 June 2002 and they agreed that joint UK-French teams should work together to tackle people trafficking.
	Based on the Framework Decision on Joint Investigation Teams, which was adopted by the Justice and Home Affairs Council in June, work is under way on the formation of a joint investigation team to combat cocaine smuggling.

Youth Justice Board

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Youth Justice Board will publish its annual review for 200102.

Hilary Benn: The Youth Justice Board annual review for 200102 has today been laid before Parliament. Copies have been placed in the Library. The Youth Justice Board was established in 1998 by the Crime and Disorder Act to reform the youth justice system. The annual review provides evidence of success in meeting the principal aim of the reformed youth justice system to prevent offending.
	The Government's pledge to halve the time from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders has been achieved. It has been reduced from an average time of 142 days in 1997 to 67 days in the first quarter of 2002.
	The review shows that effective use has been made of police Final Warnings, bail supervision and support programmes, robust new sentences and the new Intensive Surveillance and Supervision Programme to reduce re-offending.
	The review also presents evidence that targeted prevention work with young people at risk, use of parenting programmes and education, employment and training initiatives are effective to prevent and reduce offending rates.

HEALTH

Hospital Construction

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) medium-sized and (b) major hospital schemes are planned under the NHS plan; when (i) construction is due to commence and (ii) schemes will be completed; and what the cost is of each scheme.

John Hutton: The NHS Plan states that there will be further major expansion in new hospital buildings which mean over 100 new hospital schemes in total between 2000 and 2010.
	Lists of medium-sized and major hospital schemes which are planned under the NHS plan, giving details of the capital cost of the scheme; when the scheme is expected to reach financial close and when the scheme is expected to become operational are in the following tables. The total number of projects is 107.
	
		Schemes which are operational
		
			 NHS Trust Value ( million) Financial close date Operational date 
		
		
			 Carlisle Hospitals 65.00 3 November 1997 29 May 2000 
			 Dartford and Gravesham 94.00 30 July 1997 11 September 2000 
			 Queens Medical CentreNottingham University Hospital 16.60 24 May 1999 1 October 2000 
			 South Buckinghamshire 45.10 14 December 1997 17 October 2000 
			 Sussex Weald and Downs 22.00 24 June 1999 31 January 2001 
			 OxleasQueen Mary's Sidcup 20.30 1 December 1998 19 February 2001 
			 Greenwich Healthcare 93.00 1 July 1998 1 March 2001 
			 North East London Mental Health 10.80 4 July 2000 4 March 2001 
			 North Durham Health Care 61.00 31 March 1998 2 April 2001 
			 Calderdale Healthcare 64.60 31 July 1998 8 April 2001 
			 South Manchester University 65.60 8 June 1998 25 July 2001 
			 North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare 28.07 1 December 1999 1 September 2001 
			 Norfolk and Norwich Health 158.00 9 January 1998 21 September 2001 
			 Hereford Hospitals 64.10 31 March 1999 1 March 2002 
			 Barnet and Chase Farm 54.00 1 February 1999 2 March 2002 
			 Worcestershire Acute 86.60 18 March 1999 18 March 2002 
			 Northern Birmingham Mental Health 18.00 15 August 2000 18 March 2002 
			 Cornwall Healthcare 10.20 31 October 2000 1 June 2002 
			 South Durham Health Care 48.00 28 May 1999 8 June 2002 
			 East London and The City Mental HealthNewham 14.50 5 September 2000 9 July 2002 
		
	
	
		Schemes which have reached financial close but not yet operational
		
			 NHS Trust Value ( million) Financial close date Planned operational date 
		
		
			 Bromley 117.90 19 November 1998 30 April 2003 
			 South Tees Acute Hospitals 121.90 16 August 1999 1 April 2003 
			 Swindon and Marlborough 96.00 5 October 1999 15 January 2003 
			 King's Healthcare 64.00 6 December 1999 31 January 2003 
			 Leeds Community and Mental 47.00 1 March 2000 1 December 2002 
			 St. George's Healthcare 49.00 17 March 2000 1 April 2003 
			 University College London 404.00 12 July 2000 1 April 2005 
			 Northumbria HealthcareWansbeck 14.69 16 November 2000 1 April 2003 
			 Luton and Dunstable 14.70 21 November 2000 27 August 2002 
			 Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals 22.00 8 December 2000 30 January 2003 
			 West Middlesex University 60.00 30 January 2001 1 April 2003 
			 Berkshire Healthcare 29.70 1 April 2001 9 March 2003 
			 Northumbria HealthcareHexham 28.80 27 April 2001 1 July 2003 
			 Dudley Group of Hospitals 137.00 1 May 2001 30 September 2004 
			 Royston Buntingford and Bishop Stortford PCT 14.75 4 May 2001 31 May 2003 
			 Surrey Hampshire BordersFarnham 15.00 29 October 2001 1 September 2003 
			 Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals 12.80 20 March 2002 1 July 2003 
			 Nuffield Orthopaedic centre1 32.00 20 April 2002 28 February 2004 
			 Gloucestershire Royal 32.00 22 April 2002 1 September 2004 
			 North Durham Health CareChester-le-Street 10.40 1 June 2002 31 July 2004 
		
	
	
		Schemes yet to reach financial close. Operational dates to be determined as part of the PFI process
		
			 NHS Trust Value ( million) Planned financial close date 
		
		
			 Parkside Health 11.00 1 August 2002 
			 Leeds Teaching HospitalsWharfedale 10.00 1 August 2002 
			 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals 148.00 1 September 2002 
			 University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire* 178.00 1 September 2002 
			 Southern Derbyshire Acute 177.00 30 November 2002 
			 Newbury PCT 18.00 24 July 2002 
			 Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley 70.30 1 September 2002 
			 Mid Devon Primary Care Trust 12.00 30 July 2002 
			 The Whittington 25.00 31 July 2002 
			 Doncaster and South Humber Healthcare 11.30 30 July 2002 
			 Stoke Mandeville Hospital 23.70 31 July 2002 
			 Kingston Hospital 21.00 1 August 2002 
			 Sandwell and W. Birmingham HospitalsCity Hospital 19.00 14 August 2002 
			 Northamptonshire Healthcare 19.80 31 August 2002 
			 Bath and West Community 10.00 31 August 2002 
			 South West London CommunityQueen Mary's Roehampton 24.80 21 September 2002 
			 Newham Healthcare 24.90 1 October 2002 
			 Northumberland Mental HealthSt. Georges Morpeth 25.00 1 November 2002 
			 Burnley Health Care 13.65 26 December 2002 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 123.80 1 February 2003 
			 Portsmouth Hospitals 121.00 15 February 2003 
			 East Kent Community 11.10 1 March 2003 
			 Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals 95.00 15 March 2003 
			 Central Manchester Healthcare* 199.00 1 June 2003 
			 Barts and The London 620.00 1 June 2003 
			 Brighton Health Care 10.40 30 June 2003 
			 Brighton Health Care 25.00 1 July 2003 
			 Lewisham Hospital 44.00 1 July 2003 
			 Nottingham Healthcare 13.90 30 June 2003 
			 Leeds Teaching Hospitals 125.00 1 August 2003 
			 St. Mary's (Paddington Basin) 327.00 14 August 2003 
			 North West London Hospitals 60.00 1 October 2003 
			 Avon and Western Wiltshire Mental Health 48.00 1 October 2003 
			 Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals 60.00 1 January 2004 
			 Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals 53.00 1 January 2004 
			 North Middlesex Hospitals 74.00 1 January 2004 
			 University Hospital Birmingham* 306.00 1 April 2004 
			 Southampton University Hospitals 52.00 1 July 2004 
			 South Devon Healthcare 65.00 1 July 2004 
			 Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals 41.00 1 July 2004 
			 Peterborough Hospitals 250.00 1 July 2004 
			 Sherwood Forest Hospitals 66.00 1 July 2004 
			 St. Helens and Knowlsey Hospitals 228 1 July 2004 
			 North Staffordshire Hospital 254.00 1 October 2004 
			 Walsall Hospitals* 44.00 1 January 2005 
			 Tameside and Glossop Acute Services 41.00 1 January 2005 
			 Pinderfield and Pontefract Hospitals* 200.00 1 January 2005 
			 Salford Royal Hospitals 175.00 1 January 2005 
			 Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells* 175.00 1 January 2005 
			 United Bristol Healthcare 104.00 1 January 2005 
			 Whipps Cross Hospitals 313.00 1 January 2005 
			 University Hospitals of Leicester 263.00 1 January 2005 
			 Essex Rivers Healthcare 79.00 1 July 2005 
			 East Kent Hospitals 102.00 1 July 2005 
			 Mid Essex Hospitals 110.00 1 July 2005 
			 Plymouth Hospitals 101.00 1 July 2005 
			 Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals 110.00 1 July 2005 
			 Bradford Hospitals 116.00 1 July 2005 
		
	
	
		Publicly procured schemes operational
		
			 NHS Trust Value ( million) Tender awarded Operational date 
		
		
			 Rochdale Healthcare 24.00 14 August 1998 1 Augsut 2000 
			 Central Sheffield University Hospitals 24.00 19 September 1998 1 February 2001 
		
	
	
		Publicly procured schemes with tender awarded
		
			 NHS Trust Value ( million) Tender awarded Planned operational date 
		
		
			 Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospital 75.00 24 August 1998 27 July 2002 
			 Thames Gateway NHS Trust 13.50 1 December 2000 1 September 2002 
			 West London Mental Health NHS Trust 14.00 1 December 2000 1 May 2003 
			 Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust 11.80 1 May 2001 1 May 2003 
			 Barnet PCT (Edgware Community) 23.80 1 April 2001 1 December 2003 
			 WiganRoyal Albert Edward Infirmary 24.60 1 November 2000 1 April 2004 
			 Guys and St. Thomas 50.00 19 September 1998 1 May 2004

Capital Projects

Debra Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many major acute hospitals (a) have been procured and (b) are being procured via the PFI process; what the capital value of each project is; and what stage they are at in the PFI procurement process.

John Hutton: Since May 1997 64 major acute schemes have been approved under the private finance initiative (PFI). The following tables list details of their capital value together with the stage they are at in the PFI procurement process.
	
		Acute schemes operational
		
			 NHS Trust Value ( million) Financial close date Operational date 
		
		
			 Carlisle Hospitals 65.00 3 November 1997 29 May 2002 
			 Dartford and Gravesham 94.00 30 July 1997 11 September 2000 
			 South Buckinghamshire 45.10 14 December 1997 17 October 2000 
			 Greenwich Healthcare 93.00 1 July 1998 1 March 2001 
			 North Durham Health Care 61.00 31 March 1998 2 April 2001 
			 Calderdale Healthcare 64.60 31 July 2998 8 April 2001 
			 South Manchester University 65.60 8 June 1998 25 July 2001 
			 Norfolk and Norwich Health 158.00 9 January 1998 21 September 2001 
			 Hereford Hospitals 64.10 31 March 1999 1 March 2002 
			 Barnet and Chase Farm 54.00 1 February 1999 2 March 2002 
			 Worcestershire Acute 86.60 18 March 1999 18 March 2002 
			 South Durham Health Care 48.00 28 May 1999 8 June 2002 
		
	
	
		Acute schemes reached financial close with planned operational date
		
			 NHS Trust  Value ( million) Financial close date Planned operational date 
		
		
			 Bromley 117.90 19 November 1998 30 April 2003 
			 South Tees Acute Hospitals 121.90 16 August 1999 1 April 2003 
			 Swindon and Marlborough 96.00 5 October 1999 15 January 2003 
			 King's Healthcare 64.00 6 December 1999 31 January 2003 
			 Leeds Community and Mental 47.00 1 March 2000 1 December 2002 
			 St. George's Healthcare 49.00 17 March 2000 1 April 2003 
			 University College London 404.00 12 July 2000 1 April 2005 
			 Hull and East Yorkshire hospitals 22.00 8 December 2000 10 January 2003 
			 West Middlesex University 60.00 30 January 2001 1 April 2003 
			 Berkshire Healthcare 29.70 1 April 2001 9 March 2003 
			 Dudley Group of Hospitals 137.00 1 May 2001 30 September 2004 
			 Gloucestershire Royal 32.00 22 April 2002 1 September 2004 
		
	
	
		Schemes yet to reach financial close. Operational dates to be determined as part of the PFI process
		
			 NHS Trust  Value ( million) Planned financial close date 
		
		
			 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals 148.00 01 September 2002 
			 University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire 178.00 1 September 2002 
			 Southern Derbyshire Acute 177.00 30 November 2002 
			 Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley 70.30 1 September 2002 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 123.80 1 February 2003 
			 Portsmouth Hospitals 121.00 15 February 2003 
			 Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals 95.00 15 March 2003 
			 Central Manchester Healthcare 199.00 1 June 2003 
			 Barts and the London 620.00 1 June 2003 
			 Brighton Health Care 25.00 1 July 2003 
			 Lewisham Hospital 44.00 1 July 2003 
			 Leeds Teaching Hospitals 125.00 1 August 2003 
			 St. Mary's (Paddington Basin) 327.00 14 August 2003 
			 North West London Hospitals 60.00 1 October 2003 
			 Avon and Western Wiltshire Mental Health 48.00 1 October 2003 
			 Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals 60.00 1 January 2004 
			 Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals 53.00 1 January 2004 
			 North Middlesex Hospitals 74.00 1 January 2004 
			 University Hospital Birmingham 306.00 1 April 2004 
			 Southampton University Hospitals 52.00 1 July 2004 
			 South Devon Healthcare 65.00 1 July 2004 
			 Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals 41.00 1 July 2004 
			 Peterborough Hospitals 250.00 1 July 2004 
			 Sherwood Forest Hospitals 66.00 1 July 2004 
			 St. Helens and Knowlsey Hospitals 228.00 1 July 2004 
			 North Staffordshire Hospital 254.00 1 October 2004 
			 Walsall Hospitals 44.00 1 January 2005 
			 Tameside and Glossop Acute Services 41.00 1 January 2005 
			 Pinderfield and Pontefract Hospitals 200.00 1 January 2005 
			 Salford Royal Hospitals 175.00 1 January 2005 
			 Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells 175.00 1 January 2005 
			 United Bristol Healthcare 104.00 1 January 2005 
			 Whipps Cross Hospitals 313.00 1 January 2005 
			 University Hospitals of Leicester 363.00 1 January 2005 
			 Essex Rivers Healthcare 79.00 1 July 2005 
			 East Kent Hospitals 102.00 1 July 2005 
			 Mid Essex Hospitals 110.00 1 July 2005 
			 Plymouth Hospitals 101.00 1 July 2005 
			 Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals 110.00 1 July 2005 
			 Bradford Hospitals 116.00 1 July 2005

Fees

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which fees his Department, its agencies and associated public bodies collect; how much has been raised or is anticipated will be raised from each of these fees in each year from 198990 to 200405; which of these fees count as negative expenditure; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: The Department, its agencies and associated bodies collect fees or charges on a statutory basis and make charges where legislation allows on commercial services. Listed in the table is information where a fee or charge can be separately identified in accounts or departmental returns. Where fees or charges are not separately identified income has been attributed to the receiving body.
	
		 million 
		
			  199192 199293 199394 199495 199596 199697 199798 199899 19992000 200001 
		
		
			  Health authority
			 Fees and charges   67.7 90.1 92.0 (22)113.8 
			 Other income  283.4 185.1 137.9 144.1 (22)136.9 
			
			 District Health Authorities 154.7 124.9 124.9 156.0 140.7 152.0 
			 Family Health Service Authority 6.6 5.9 64.8 75.8 74.4  
			
			 NHS Trusts   
			 Road traffic accident income13.1 13.1 13.5 16.6 19.6 91.4 122.7 
			 Amenity beds/prescription charges 5.0 29.8 55.5 97.1 110.1 138.8 169.6 216.7 224.2 266.0 
			 NHS Supplies Authority fees  52.0 62.9 52.9 50.5 44.0 39.1 36.1 20.3 (23)0.4 
			 District Health Authoritiesamenity beds  1.7 1.2
			 District Health Authorityroad traffic accident income  7.3 3.5 0.3   
			 Dental charges 404 394.8 367.0 383.3 381.2 383.0 388.4 419.6 431.2 453.1 
			 Prescription charges 215.2 242.0 265.3 287.2 298.7 295.7 320.9 341.3 366.7 386.9 
			 Nursing home inspection fees  3.9 4.2 4.1 4.7 4.8 4.8 8.8 9.5 9.8 
			 English National Board for Nursing: registration fees  1.9 1.7 1.7 1.3 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 
			 Subsidised dried milk 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.0 1.6 2.2 2.5 2.6 2.4 2.4 
			 Medicines Control Agencylicences and inspections 17.7 21.0 23.3 25.6 22.4 26.8 28.1 26.6 29.4 34.1 
			 Youth treatment service income 1.8 1.2 1.5 2.4 4.6 3.0 4.5 4.7 4.6 0.1 
			 NHS Pensions Agency fees  0.2 2.3 6.2 2.2 1.8 
			 Medical Devices Agency Fees  0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 
			 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority: licence fees  0.6 0.9 0.8 1.0 1.0 1.3 1.4 1.6 1.2 
		
	
	(22) Inc. PCTs.
	(23) NHS Logistics.
	Notes:
	1. Figures are for completed financial years only. Subsequent years will be reviewed in light of changes in costs in the coming periods and cannot be forecast at this stage.
	2. All income is either appropriations in aid on votes, consolidated fund extra receipts or is retained by the body concerned to offset expenditure.

Natural Health Products

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will respond to the request of 25 April by Consumers For Health Choice for a meeting with the Under-Secretary to discuss regulation of the Natural Health Products Sector.

Hazel Blears: My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Lord Hunt), and I will be holding meetings during July with representatives of a range of interest groups in the herbal sector, including consumers for health choice, to discuss the regulation of herbal remedies and supplements.

Correspondence

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight of 26 April, about NHS dental services.

Hazel Blears: A reply was sent on 8 July.

Secondments

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people from organisations outside his Department have been seconded to start work in his Department since 1 January 1999.

David Lammy: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number of secondments 
		
		
			 19992000 20 
			 200001 62 
			 200102 49 
			 Total 131 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health Interchange database 1 April to 31 March

Hospices

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much National Cancer Plan funding has been allocated to hospices in (a) Suffolk and (b) the eastern region.

David Lammy: Voluntary hospice services in eastern region are, in common with the rest of the country, funded from a variety of sources in addition to voluntary funding.
	Priorities for development are determined by each cancer network board (of which health authorities; primary care trusts and national health service trusts are part).
	Palliative care priorities for development (including hospices) are first determined within each network's palliative care strategy and then prioritised against other cancer priorities as part of the network's overall three year strategic plan.
	Suffolk Health Authority invested 1,460,858 in voluntary hospices in 200102 rising to 1,527,757 in 200203.
	During the same period the whole eastern region invested 8,177,426 in voluntary hospices in 200102 rising to 8,545,111 in 200203.

Hepatitis C

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on making financial arrangements for sufferers, and their families, of Hepatitis C caused by infected blood products.

Hazel Blears: We deeply regret that so many people with haemophilia were infected with hepatitis C through blood products. But the fact is that as soon as a technology became available to make blood products free from hepatitis C the national health service introduced it. There is therefore no legal liability to justify compensation for people with haemophilia and hepatitis C.
	This Government and their predecessor have held that compensation is only paid to patients when the NHS has been at fault and that an exception to this rule is not justified in the case of haemophiliacs infected with hepatitis C.
	We met the haemophilia society and members of the all party group on haemophilia on 12 June to discuss the 'Report of the Hepatitis C Working Party' which was produced for the haemophilia society and published by them on 17 June. We will respond to this report when we have given it our full consideration.

Cancer and Mental Health

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money was earmarked for cancer and mental health treatments for (a) PCT and (b) health authorities in the latest year for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: Health authorities share their total recurrent allocation between their constituent primary care trusts in line with guidance issued by the Department.
	In 200203, health authorities were instructed to allocate earmarked funding to primary care trusts on the same basis allocations were made to health authorities.
	Primary care trust shares of health authority earmarked funding for cancer and mental health are shown in table 1 and the health authority totals in table 2.
	
		Table 1 -- 000
		
			 Primary care trust Cancer Mental health 
		
		
			 Adur, Arun and Worthing 360 355 
			 Airedale 172 170 
			 Amber Valley 181 178 
			 Ashfield 118 117 
			 Ashford 140 138 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan 485 479 
			 Barking and Dagenham 262 258 
			 Barnet 521 514 
			 Barnsley 385 380 
			 Basildon 158 156 
			 Bassetlaw 150 148 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 239 236 
			 Bebington and West Wirral 161 159 
			 Bedford 208 205 
			 Bedfordshire Heartlands 317 313 
			 Bexhill and Rother 135 133 
			 Bexley 302 298 
			 Billericay, Brentwood and Wickford 186 184 
			 Birkenhead and Wallasey 361 356 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 245 242 
			 Blackpool 257 254 
			 Bolton 444 438 
			 Bournemouth 259 255 
			 Bracknell Forest 128 127 
			 Bradford City 228 225 
			 Bradford South and West 229 226 
			 Brent 471 465 
			 Brighton and Hove City 422 417 
			 Bristol North 347 342 
			 Bristol South and West 287 283 
			 Broadland 152 150 
			 Bromley 423 417 
			 Broxtowe and Hucknall 197 194 
			 Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale 401 396 
			 Burntwood, Lichfield and Tamworth 198 195 
			 Bury 271 268 
			 Calderdale 296 292 
			 Cambridge City 184 182 
			 Camden 413 408 
			 Cannock Chase 173 171 
			 Canterbury and Coastal 250 247 
			 Carlisle and District 174 172 
			 Castle Point and Rochford 226 223 
			 Central Cheshire 347 343 
			 Central Cornwall 289 285 
			 Central Derby 183 181 
			 Central Liverpool 463 457 
			 Central Manchester 305 301 
			 Central Suffolk 126 125 
			 Charnwood and North West Leicestershire 318 314 
			 Chelmsford 155 153 
			 Cheltenham and Tewkesbury 210 207 
			 Cherwell Vale 163 160 
			 Cheshire West 231 227 
			 Chesterfield 171 169 
			 Chiltern and South Bucks 210 207 
			 Chingford, Wanstead and Woodford 181 179 
			 Chorley and South Ribble 289 285 
			 City and Hackney 467 461 
			 Colchester 229 226 
			 Cotswold and Vale 266 262 
			 Coventry 496 489 
			 Craven, Harrogate and Rural District 290 286 
			 Crawley 156 154 
			 Croydon 515 508 
			 Dacorum 198 195 
			 Darlington 161 159 
			 Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley 317 313 
			 Daventry and South Northamptonshire 118 116 
			 Derbyshire Dales and South Derbyshire 117 115 
			 Derwentside 142 140 
			 Doncaster Central 164 162 
			 Doncaster East 135 134 
			 Doncaster West 172 170 
			 Dudley Beacon and Castle 162 160 
			 Dudley South 283 280 
			 Durham and Chester-Le-Street 230 227 
			 Durham Dales 144 142 
			 Ealing 551 544 
			 Easington 180 177 
			 East Birmingham 398 393 
			 East Cambridgeshire and Fenland 208 206 
			 East Devon 179 176 
			 East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey 364 359 
			 East Hampshire 265 262 
			 East Kent Coastal 388 383 
			 East Leeds 236 232 
			 East Lincolnshire 402 397 
			 East Staffordshire 174 171 
			 East Surrey 212 209 
			 East Yorkshire 202 199 
			 Eastbourne Downs 284 281 
			 Eastern Cheshire 259 255 
			 Eastern Hull 196 193 
			 Eastern Leicester 269 266 
			 Eastern Wakefield 288 284 
			 Eastleigh and Test Valley 190 187 
			 Eden Valley 98 97 
			 Ellesmere Port and Neston 126 124 
			 Enfield 409 404 
			 Epping Forest 153 151 
			 Erewash 143 141 
			 Exeter 183 180 
			 Fareham and Gosport 250 247 
			 Fylde 106 105 
			 Gateshead 343 339 
			 Gedling 137 135 
			 Great Yarmouth 145 144 
			 Greater Derby 221 218 
			 Greenwich 380 375 
			 Guildford and Waverley 328 323 
			 Halton 190 187 
			 Hambleton and Richmondshire 154 152 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 311 307 
			 Haringey 429 424 
			 Harlow 122 120 
			 Harrow 297 293 
			 Hartlepool 152 150 
			 Hastings and St. Leonards 159 157 
			 Havering 350 345 
			 Heart of Birmingham 470 464 
			 Herefordshire 241 238 
			 Hertsmere 126 124 
			 Heywood and Middleton 122 121 
			 High Peak and Dales 146 144 
			 Hillingdon 369 364 
			 Hinckley and Bosworth 124 122 
			 Horsham and Chanctonbury 119 118 
			 Hounslow 370 365 
			 Huddersfield Central 212 210 
			 Huntingdonshire 185 183 
			 Hyndburn and Ribble Valley 174 172 
			 Ipswich 207 205 
			 Isle of Wight 210 207 
			 Islington 407 401 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 378 373 
			 Kingston 246 243 
			 Knowsley 269 265 
			 Lambeth 546 539 
			 Langbaurgh 153 151 
			 Leeds North East 229 226 
			 Leeds North West 260 257 
			 Leeds West 170 167 
			 Leicester City West 220 217 
			 Lewisham 445 439 
			 Lincolnshire South West 247 244 
			 Luton 277 274 
			 Maidstone Weald 308 304 
			 Maldon and South Chelmsford 103 102 
			 Mansfield District 140 138 
			 Medway 361 357 
			 Melton, Rutland and Harborough 181 178 
			 Mendip 145 143 
			 Mid Devon 139 137 
			 Middlesbrough 319 315 
			 Mid-Hampshire 232 228 
			 Mid-Sussex 181 179 
			 Milton Keynes 301 297 
			 Morecambe Bay 473 467 
			 New Forest 252 249 
			 Newark and Sherwood 169 166 
			 Newbury and Community 134 132 
			 Newcastle 455 449 
			 Newcastle-Under-Lyme 155 153 
			 Newham 490 484 
			 North and East Cornwall 227 224 
			 North Birmingham 236 233 
			 North Bradford 141 139 
			 North Devon 218 215 
			 North Dorset 123 121 
			 North East Lincolnshire 243 239 
			 North East Oxfordshire 86 85 
			 North East Warwickshire 249 246 
			 North Eastern Derbyshire 229 226 
			 North Hampshire 244 241 
			 North Hertfordshire and Stevenage 264 261 
			 North Kirklees 260 257 
			 North Lincolnshire 221 218 
			 North Liverpool 190 187 
			 North Manchester 276 273 
			 North Norfolk 150 148 
			 North Peterborough 168 166 
			 North Sheffield 208 205 
			 North Somerset 266 262 
			 North Stoke 221 218 
			 North Surrey 289 285 
			 North Tees 276 273 
			 North Tyneside 331 326 
			 North Wilts and Kennet 256 253 
			 Northampton 295 292 
			 Northamptonshire Heartlands 383 378 
			 Northumberland Care Trust 470 463 
			 Norwich 205 203 
			 Nottingham City 480 474 
			 Oldbury and Smethwick 171 169 
			 Oldham 368 363 
			 Oxford City 256 253 
			 Plymouth 381 376 
			 Poole 247 244 
			 Portsmouth City 292 288 
			 Preston 231 228 
			 Reading 293 289 
			 Redbridge 246 243 
			 Redditch and Bromsgrove 207 204 
			 Richmond and Twickenham 279 276 
			 Rochdale 217 214 
			 Rotherham 384 379 
			 Rowley, Regis and Tipton 133 131 
			 Royston, Buntingford and Bishop's Stortford 95 94 
			 Rugby 120 119 
			 Rushcliffe 153 151 
			 Rushmore and Hart 234 231 
			 Salford 394 389 
			 Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale 239 236 
			 Sedgefield 154 152 
			 Selby and York 378 373 
			 Sheffield South West 190 188 
			 Sheffield West 184 181 
			 Shepway 156 154 
			 Shropshire County 389 384 
			 Slough 179 177 
			 Solihull 291 288 
			 Somerset Coast 205 202 
			 South and East Dorset 217 214 
			 South Birmingham 540 533 
			 South Cambridgeshire 118 116 
			 South East Hertfordshire 228 225 
			 South East Oxfordshire 102 100 
			 South East Sheffield 272 269 
			 South Gloucestershire 290 286 
			 South Hams and West Devon 152 150 
			 South Huddersfield 123 122 
			 South Leeds 230 227 
			 South Leicestershire 187 184 
			 South Liverpool 152 150 
			 South Manchester 240 237 
			 South Peterborough 125 123 
			 South Sefton 266 263 
			 South Somerset 203 201 
			 South Stoke 217 214 
			 South Tyneside 263 260 
			 South Warwickshire 329 325 
			 South West Dorset 205 202 
			 South West Kent 240 236 
			 South West Oxfordshire 236 233 
			 South Western Staffordshire 244 241 
			 South Wiltshire 163 161 
			 South Worcestershire 373 368 
			 Southampton City 359 354 
			 Southend On Sea 275 272 
			 Southern Norfolk 270 267 
			 Southport and Formby 178 175 
			 Southwark 457 451 
			 St. Albans and Harpenden 177 174 
			 St. Helens 299 295 
			 Staffordshire Moorlands 150 148 
			 Stockport 427 422 
			 Suffolk Coastal 133 131 
			 Suffolk West 307 303 
			 Sunderland Teaching 483 477 
			 Sussex Downs and Weald 202 199 
			 Sutton and Merton 536 529 
			 Swale 134 132 
			 Swindon 261 257 
			 Tameside and Glossop 361 356 
			 Taunton Deane 147 145 
			 Teignbridge 157 155 
			 Telford and Wrekin 222 219 
			 Tendring 222 219 
			 Thurrock 205 202 
			 Torbay 212 209 
			 Tower Hamlets 365 360 
			 Trafford North 149 147 
			 Trafford South 186 183 
			 Uttlesford 90 88 
			 Vale of Aylesbury 247 244 
			 Wakefield West 221 218 
			 Walsall 403 398 
			 Walthamstow, Leyton and Leytonstone 280 276 
			 Wandsworth 476 469 
			 Warrington 278 274 
			 Watford and Three Rivers 248 245 
			 Waveney 184 181 
			 Wednesbury and West Bromwich 189 186 
			 Welwyn Hatfield 138 136 
			 West Cumbria 207 204 
			 West Gloucestershire 303 299 
			 West Hull 253 250 
			 West Lancashire 160 158 
			 West Lincolnshire 312 308 
			 West Norfolk 212 209 
			 West Of Cornwall 237 234 
			 West Wiltshire 155 153 
			 Western Sussex 311 307 
			 Westminster 478 472 
			 Windsor, Ascot and Maidenhead 227 224 
			 Witham, Braintree and Halstead(24) 179 177 
			 Woking area 248 245 
			 Wokingham 173 171 
			 Wolverhampton City 392 387 
			 Wycombe 184 181 
			 Wyre Forest 148 146 
			 Wyre 190 187 
			 Yorkshire Wolds and Coast 211 208 
			
			 England 76,000 75,000 
		
	
	(24) Planned care trust from 1 October 2002.
	
		Table 2 -- 000
		
			 Health authority Cancer Mental health 
		
		
			 Avon 1,428 1,409 
			 Barking and Havering 612 604 
			 Barnet, Enfield and Haringey 1,360 1,342 
			 Barnsley 385 380 
			 Bedfordshire 802 791 
			 Berkshire 1,134 1,119 
			 Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich 1,105 1,091 
			 Birmingham 1,645 1,623 
			 Bradford 770 760 
			 Brent and Harrow 768 758 
			 Buckinghamshire 941 929 
			 Bury and Rochdale 610 602 
			 Calderdale and Kirklees 892 880 
			 Cambridgeshire 989 976 
			 Camden and Islington 820 809 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 753 744 
			 County Durham 1,010 997 
			 Coventry 496 489 
			 Croydon 515 508 
			 Doncaster 471 465 
			 Dorset 1,050 1,037 
			 Dudley 445 440 
			 Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow 1,232 1,216 
			 East Kent 934 922 
			 East Lancashire 840 829 
			 East London and the City 1,322 1,304 
			 East Riding 861 850 
			 East Surrey 575 568 
			 East Sussex, Brighton and Hove 1,202 1,187 
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside 606 598 
			 Gloucestershire 778 768 
			 Herefordshire 241 238 
			 Hertfordshire 1,474 1,454 
			 Hillingdon 369 364 
			 Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire 1,018 1,004 
			 Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster 856 845 
			 Kingston and Richmond 526 519 
			 Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham 1,448 1,429 
			 Leeds 1,124 1,109 
			 Leicestershire 1,299 1,281 
			 Lincolnshire 962 949 
			 Liverpool 804 794 
			 Manchester 821 810 
			 Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth 1,011 998 
			 Morecambe Bay 473 467 
			 Newcastle and North Tyneside 786 775 
			 Norfolk 1,135 1,120 
			 North and East Devon 719 709 
			 North and Mid Hampshire 710 700 
			 North Cheshire 467 461 
			 North Cumbria 478 472 
			 North Derbyshire 546 539 
			 North Essex 1,252 1,236 
			 North Nottinghamshire 577 569 
			 North Staffordshire 743 733 
			 North West Lancashire 765 755 
			 North Yorkshire 1,061 1,047 
			 Northamptonshire 796 785 
			 Northumberland 470 463 
			 Nottingham 967 954 
			 Oxfordshire 843 832 
			 Redbridge and Waltham Forest 707 697 
			 Rotherham 384 379 
			 Salford and Trafford 729 719 
			 Sandwell 493 486 
			 Sefton 444 438 
			 Sheffield 854 843 
			 Shropshire 611 603 
			 Solihull 291 288 
			 Somerset 700 691 
			 South and West Devon 902 890 
			 South Cheshire 962 950 
			 South Derbyshire 845 834 
			 South Essex 1,051 1,037 
			 South Humber 463 457 
			 South Lancashire 449 443 
			 South Staffordshire 788 778 
			 Southampton and South West Hampshire 800 790 
			 St. Helen's and Knowsley 567 560 
			 Stockport 427 422 
			 Suffolk 957 944 
			 Sunderland 483 477 
			 Tees 901 890 
			 Wakefield 509 503 
			 Walsall 403 398 
			 Warwickshire 699 690 
			 West Kent 1,360 1,342 
			 West Pennine 729 719 
			 West Surrey 865 853 
			 West Sussex 1,127 1,112 
			 Wigan and Bolton 929 916 
			 Wiltshire 835 824 
			 Wirral 522 515 
			 Wolverhampton 392 387 
			 Worcestershire 728 719 
			
			 Total England 76,000 75,000

GPs

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how may GPs are working in the NHS, broken down by age group in (a) England and (b) each health authority.

John Hutton: The information requested is shown in the table. 'All practitioners' include general medical services unrestricted principals, personal medical services (PMS) contracted general practitioners (GPs), PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, GP registrars, salaried doctors (para. 52 statement of fees and allowances), PMS other and GP retainers.
	
		All practitioners(25) in England by age and health authority as at 30 September 2001
		
			 Region name/HA name HA code Total Under 3034 3539 4044 4549 
		
		
			 Northern and Yorkshire
			 Bradford HA QDD 354 26 49 55 68 56 
			 Calderdale and Kirklees HA QDT 344 17 32 66 72 57 
			 County Durham Health Commission QDE 377 13 41 83 66 77 
			 East Riding HA QDF 334 9 31 60 68 55 
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside HA QDG 219 8 24 48 43 34 
			 Leeds Healthcare QDH 493 29 49 102 112 72 
			 Newcastle and North Tyneside HA QDJ 308 14 27 72 70 63 
			 North Cumbria HA QDK 235 5 23 47 66 37 
			 North Yorkshire HA QDR 561 31 72 109 132 97 
			 Northumberland HA QDM 231 26 28 37 45 33 
			 Sunderland HA QDN 166 13 17 19 25 29 
			 Tees HA QDP 327 11 41 56 61 60 
			 Wakefield Health Care QDP 215 14 26 48 42 27 
			 
			 Trent
			 Barnsley HA QCG 130 6 14 21 19 20 
			 Doncaster HA QCK 164 6 15 17 32 29 
			 Leicestershire HA QCL 571 20 79 93 124 101 
			 Lincolnshire HA QCM 387 17 42 68 94 81 
			 North Derbyshire HA QCH 234 17 28 46 51 35 
			 North Nottinghamshire HA QCN 221 10 27 33 41 34 
			 Nottingham HA QCP 403 27 48 76 76 75 
			 Rotherham HA QCQ 134 9 13 20 33 19 
			 Sheffield HA QCR 388 28 47 69 83 64 
			 South Humber HA QDL 185 1 10 27 41 30 
			 Southern Derbyshire HA QCJ 347 22 49 73 61 63 
			 
			 Eastern
			 Bedfordshire HA QA6 323 10 25 61 53 59 
			 Cambridgeshire HA QER 485 16 64 86 103 91 
			 Hertfordshire HA QEX 682 36 99 124 154 106 
			 Norfolk HA QET 524 10 45 104 116 93 
			 North Essex HA QAX 513 11 42 83 111 113 
			 South Essex HA QAY 351 4 16 48 60 60 
			 Suffolk HA QCF 440 13 42 73 112 79 
			 
			 London
			 Barking and Havering HA QAP 202 3 13 27 16 26 
			 Barnet Enfield and Haringey HA QEW 541 22 40 66 83 79 
			 Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich HA QEY 413 17 34 58 73 72 
			 Brent and Harrow HA QAR 331 13 36 34 38 46 
			 Camden and Islington HA QAT 278 13 44 52 45 35 
			 Croydon HA QAD 180 10 16 19 29 34 
			 Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow HA QAV 448 14 64 68 55 55 
			 East London and the City HA QAW 447 11 48 66 70 49 
			 Hillingdon HA QA2 149 8 16 22 18 24 
			 Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster HA QA3 265 8 42 41 47 36 
			 Kingston and Richmond HA QAG 242 21 45 36 47 32 
			 Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham HA QAH 516 14 61 90 92 79 
			 Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth HA QAJ 405 16 65 66 71 57 
			 Redbridge and Waltham Forest HA QA5 259 8 22 26 37 31 
			 South Eastern
			 Berkshire HA QA7 503 18 59 76 99 93 
			 Buckinghamshire HA QA8 452 15 57 91 80 78 
			 East Kent HA QAE 352 10 25 58 71 75 
			 East Surrey HA QAK 281 17 51 42 56 44 
			 East Sussex, Brighton and Hove HA QAM 476 16 47 104 95 77 
			 Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire HA QEV 430 14 47 73 81 99 
			 North and Mid Hampshire HA QD1 358 16 46 67 81 50 
			 Northamptonshire HA QCC 342 16 37 72 82 45 
			 Oxfordshire HA QCE 440 14 58 90 96 65 
			 Southampton and South West Hampshire HA QD3 386 16 51 66 81 61 
			 West Kent HA QAF 592 23 48 89 109 101 
			 West Surrey HA QAL 409 21 45 80 81 65 
			 West Sussex HA QAN 497 24 63 108 97 89 
			 
			 South Western
			 Avon HA QD8 740 26 102 140 180 118 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly HA QDV 375 14 44 59 94 62 
			 Dorset HA QDW 534 19 72 116 117 91 
			 Gloucestershire HA QDY 420 19 42 82 89 89 
			 North and East Devon HA QDX 399 20 49 70 93 71 
			 Somerset HA QD5 375 15 36 71 87 69 
			 South and West Devon HA QD6 437 13 48 94 102 77 
			 Wiltshire HA QD7 400 13 49 83 82 68 
			 
			 West Midlands
			 Birmingham HA QD9 665 28 75 111 109 88 
			 Coventry HA QEA 185 6 12 21 32 43 
			 Dudley HA QEC 179 12 7 30 37 23 
			 Herefordshire HA QED 137 8 19 29 28 16 
			 North Staffordshire HA QEH 256 4 23 37 44 36 
			 Sandwell HA QEE 174 12 11 22 13 20 
			 Shropshire HA QEF 274 9 24 53 67 55 
			 Solihull HA QEG 128 6 19 25 28 18 
			 South Staffordshire HA QEJ 323 11 30 57 69 47 
			 Walsall HA QEK 135 2 10 11 15 14 
			 Warwickshire HA QEL 316 12 41 71 60 44 
			 Wolverhampton HA QEM 141 2 13 25 24 23 
			 Worcestershire HA QEN 350 15 38 70 70 63 
			 
			 North West
			 Bury and Rochdale HA QCT 234 7 27 41 47 44 
			 East Lancashire HA QCX 302 10 33 40 50 52 
			 Liverpool HA QC2 291 14 39 48 36 54 
			 Manchester Health QC3 312 14 56 39 50 49 
			 Morecambe Bay HA QC4 215 10 21 46 45 29 
			 North Cheshire HA QCV 179 9 20 33 41 27 
			 North West Lancashire HA QCY 268 9 25 50 58 39 
			 Salford and Trafford HA QC6 253 11 25 39 48 40 
			 Sefton HA QC7 173 8 18 36 43 26 
			 South Cheshire HA QCW 479 29 76 101 95 75 
			 South Lancashire HA QC1 180 8 16 37 28 28 
			 St. Helen's and Knowsley HA QC5 202 6 15 37 37 27 
			 Stockport Health QC8 199 16 27 33 45 26 
			 West Pennine HA QC9 236 5 26 44 33 42 
			 Wigan and Bolton HA QDA 308 16 28 36 52 51 
			 Wirral HA QDC 221 11 27 43 43 31 
			 
			 England total  31,835 1,325 3,578 5,591 6,254 5,221 
		
	
	
		
			 Region name/HA name HA code 5054 5559 6064 6569 70 and over 
		
		
			 Northern and Yorkshire   
			 Bradford HA QDD 46 33 15 6 0 
			 Calderdale and Kirklees HA QDT 33 38 25 3 1 
			 County Durham Health Commission QDE 46 35 14 2 0 
			 East Riding HA QDF 48 37 19 7 0 
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside HA QDG 35 15 8 4 0 
			 Leeds Healthcare QDH 61 34 22 11 1 
			 Newcastle and North Tyneside HA QDJ 33 20 8 1 0 
			 North Cumbria HA QDK 32 22 3 0 0 
			 North Yorkshire HA QDR 75 38 4 3 0 
			 Northumberland HA QDM 26 31 5 0 0 
			 Sunderland HA QDN 21 26 10 6 0 
			 Tees HA QDP 51 28 16 3 0 
			 Wakefield Health Care QDQ 33 14 8 3 0 
			
			 Trent   
			 Barnsley HA QCG 20 16 10 4 0 
			 Doncaster HA QCK 27 28 5 5 0 
			 Leicestershire HA QCL 73 57 19 5 0 
			 Lincolnshire HA QCM 50 19 12 3 1 
			 North Derbyshire HA QCH 30 17 9 1 0 
			 North Nottinghamshire HA QCN 32 25 15 3 1 
			 Nottingham HA QCP 43 40 14 3 1 
			 Rotherham HA QCQ 16 12 10 2 0 
			 Sheffield HA QCR 47 32 11 6 1 
			 South Humber HA QDL 22 36 13 5 0 
			 Southern Derbyshire HA QCJ 40 24 14 1 0 
			
			 Eastern   
			 Bedfordshire HA QA6 60 32 16 4 3 
			 Cambridgeshire HA QER 66 42 13 4 0 
			 Hertfordshire HA QEX 99 43 15 5 1 
			 Norfolk HA QET 89 58 8 1 0 
			 North Essex HA QAX 75 64 10 4 0 
			 South Essex HA QAY 61 60 27 15 0 
			 Suffolk HA QCF 65 47 9 0 0 
			
			 London   
			 Barking and Havering HA QAP 41 37 28 11 0 
			 Barnet Enfield and Haringey HA QEW 97 85 38 26 5 
			 Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich HA QEY 60 49 35 9 6 
			 Brent and Harrow HA QAR 61 59 32 11 1 
			 Camden and Islington HA QAT 37 23 20 9 0 
			 Croydon HA QAD 29 17 16 8 2 
			 Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow HA QAV 71 64 32 22 3 
			 East London and the City HA QAW 92 40 37 31 3 
			 Hillingon HA QA2 17 29 11 4 0 
			 Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster HA QA3 38 21 18 13 1 
			 Kingston and Richmond HA QAG 33 18 8 2 0 
			 Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham HA QAH 78 50 47 12 3 
			 Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth HA QAJ 46 50 20 10 4 
			 Redbridge and Waltham Forest HA QA5 59 41 16 15 4 
			
			 South Eastern   
			 Berkshire HA QA7 80 49 20 7 2 
			 Buckinghamshire HA QA8 78 37 14 2 0 
			 East Kent HA QAE 60 41 11 1 0 
			 East Surrey HA QAK 33 27 8 2 1 
			 East Sussex, Brighton and Hove HA QAM 61 49 21 4 2 
			 Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire HA QEV 57 45 12 2 0 
			 North and Mid Hampshire HA QD1 60 33 5 0 0 
			 Northamptonshire HA QCC 44 34 10 2 0 
			 Oxfordshire HA QCE 67 44 6 1 0 
			 Southampton and South West Hampshire HA QD3 55 45 10 1 0 
			 West Kent HA QAF 102 67 40 13 0 
			 West Surrey HA QAL 70 28 17 2 0 
			 West Sussex HA QAN 65 33 17 1 0 
			
			 South Western   
			 Avon HA QD8 104 59 8 3 0 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly HA QDV 56 41 3 2 0 
			 Dorset HA QDW 81 31 6 1 0 
			 Gloucestershire HA QDY 55 37 6 1 0 
			 North and East Devon HA QDX 54 37 5 0 0 
			 Somerset HA QD5 53 28 14 2 0 
			 South and West Devon HA QD6 52 35 15 1 0 
			 Wiltshire HA QD7 65 32 8 0 0 
			
			 West Midlands   
			 Birmingham HA QD9 101 76 58 18 1 
			 Coventry HA QEA 26 25 15 6 0 
			 Dudley HA QEC 31 23 14 2 0 
			 Herefordshire HA QED 21 14 1 1 0 
			 North Staffordshire HA QEH 42 35 24 9 2 
			 Sandwell HA QEE 43 30 18 5 0 
			 Shropshire HA QEF 35 22 7 2 0 
			 Solihull HA QEG 11 13 6 2 0 
			 South Staffordshire HA QEJ 57 36 9 7 0 
			 Walsall HA QEK 32 25 20 6 0 
			 Warwickshire HA QEL 39 34 10 5 0 
			 Wolverhampton HA QEM 25 13 11 3 2 
			 Worcestershire HA QEN 55 30 8 0 1 
			
			 North West   
			 Bury and Rochdale HA QCT 29 18 16 6 0 
			 East Lancashire QCX 47 34 26 10 0 
			 Liverpool HA QC2 39 44 10 5 2 
			 Manchester Health QC3 49 34 16 4 1 
			 Morecambe Bay HA QC4 38 21 3 2 0 
			 North Cheshire HA QCV 20 19 8 2 0 
			 North West Lancashire HA QCY 41 28 14 4 0 
			 Salford and Trafford HA QC6 34 33 15 5 3 
			 Sefton HA QC7 15 12 13 2 0 
			 South Cheshire HA QCW 56 36 10 1 0 
			 South Lancashire HA QC1 29 26 6 2 0 
			 St. Helen's and Knowsley HA QC5 33 26 14 6 1 
			 Stockport Health QC8 24 18 8 2 0 
			 West Pennine HA QC9 42 26 11 7 0 
			 Wigan and Bolton HA QDA 63 33 20 9 0 
			 Wirral HA QDC 37 22 4 3 0 
			
			 England total  4,680 3,244 1,396 486 60 
		
	
	(25) All practitioners include GMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs, PMS Salaried GPs, Restricted Principals, Assistants, GP Registrars, Salaried Doctors (Para. 52 SFA), PMA Other and GP Retainers.
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.

NICE

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 18 June 2002, Official Report, column 247W, on NICE, what assessment he has made of the level of non-compliance by healthcare professionals with the recommendations of NICE.

Hazel Blears: Detailed audit of the implementation of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence's guidance is only feasible at local level. The Institute has however commissioned a research project through the national health service research and development methodology programme to evaluate the impact of its guidance on clinical and managerial practice. A team from York University has been appointed to carry out this project. Preliminary results are expected in December 2002.

Building Capacity Grant

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people benefited from the building capacity grant.

Jacqui Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 17 June 2002, Official Report, column 168W.
	This approach has already led to over 1,000 hospital beds no longer occupied by people awaiting discharge from hospital over the period from September 2001 to March 2002. Half of the 100 million allocated in 200102 was spent on additional packages of care, either in residential homes or patients' own homes.

Annual Leave

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average annual leave entitlement is for staff in his Department in 2002.

David Lammy: The Department holds no information on the average annual leave entitlement. Actual leave entitlement for staff is currently set at 30 days.

Electronic Health Records

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the introduction of electronic health records.

David Lammy: On 12 June my noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary, (Lord Hunt of Kingsheath) outlined a programme to deliver information technology in the national health service Delivering the NHS Plan based on the principles of Information for Health. The programme states that by December 2005 we will have developed an electronic record service which will be accessible nationally for out of hours emergency reference. By December 2007 we will have expanded the records to contain more data and reference links to primary care and hospitals in order to support integrated care.

Taiwan

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions his Department has had with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in relation to Taiwan's application for observer status at the World Health Organisation.

David Lammy: Prior to the May 2002 world health assembly, the Department consulted the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the position the UK should take in EU co-ordination discussions on Taiwan's application for observer status of the world health organisation.

Regulatory Impact Unit

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many members of his Department have been employed in its regulatory impact unit in the past five years; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: Two officials (full time equivalent) have been employed within my Department's regulatory impact unit for each of the past five years. The unit works with the Department's policy officials and the Cabinet Office regulatory impact unit to prepare regulatory impact assessments and identify suitable regulatory reform measures.

Respiratory-related Diseases

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will develop a national service framework for treatment of respiratory-related diseases.

Jacqui Smith: We have no plans to extend the national service framework (NSF) programme at present to include respiratory related diseases. People with respiratory related diseases will benefit from other initiatives to improve quality of treatment and care, and to improve access to services.
	The NSF programme currently includes frameworks for mental health (1999), coronary heart disease (2000) the national Cancer Plan (2000), older people (2001) and diabetes standards (2001). The diabetes NSF delivery strategy is due to be published in 2002 and work is in hand on national service frameworks for renal services, childrens services and long term conditions. These frameworks amount to a significant programme of quality improvement across the national health service.

Green Ministers

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who his Department's green minister is; when they (a) have attended and (b) plan to attend meetings of the Green Ministers' Committee; what the outcomes of meetings were for his Department's activities; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: I am the Department's Green Minister. I took up my post on 10 June 2002 and I am scheduled to my first Green Ministers' Committee meeting on 15 July 2002.
	The Department's previous Green Minister my hon. Friend the Member for Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper), regularly attended all Green Ministers' Committee meetings.
	The Department takes a close interest in all Green Ministers' Committee discussions and takes action where appropriate to implement decisions or set work in train. For example, climate change adaptation was considered by Green Ministers' Committee in March 2002. Although the Department is not the lead Department on this issue, it does have an important role in assessing the likely impact on health of climate change. The Department's report Health Effects of Climate Change in the UK has been circulated widely for comment and is due to be published in August. Also discussed at the March meeting of Green Ministers' Committee was target setting for the Government Estate in respect of environmental management systems (EMS). The Department is implementing EMS across its estate as appropriate.

National Human Stem Cell Bank

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the institutions being considered to host the National Human Stem Cell Bank; and when he will make a decision.

Hazel Blears: The recommendation to establish a stem cell bank came from the Chief Medical Officer's expert group (the Donaldson Committee) in 2000. Since then the Medical Research Council (MRC) has been making progress in establishing the national stem cell bank and invited interested centres to tender in March 2002.
	As the process of considering bids is, as yet, incomplete, it is not possible to provide a list of those under consideration.
	The MRC is expected to make an announcement about the location of the bank later this year.

NHS Dentists

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the population is registered with an NHS dentist; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: Arrangements are now in place to ensure that patients can gain access to national health service services simply by calling NHS Direct. This means that even if a patient chooses not to register with a dentist it will still be possible for that patient to access all forms of dentistry that are provided by the NHS.
	47 per cent. of the population, 60 per cent. of children and 43 per cent. of adults were registered with a general dental services (GDS) dentist in England at 30 April 2002. Registrations lapse if patients do not return to the dentist within 15 months.

Underspend

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much of his Department's allocated spending is forecast to not be spent by the end of the financial year; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: Details of 200102 underspends will be published in the Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper. There are no planned underspends in 200304.

Podiatry and Chiropody Services

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the level of unsatisfied demand for podiatry and chiropody services in Essex.

David Lammy: Primary care trusts (PCTs) are best placed to assess the needs of the local community. They are now responsible for providing local national health service services, including chiropody, and have to clinically prioritise their services to meet local demand. Each PCT is free to determine its local priority criteria.

Podiatry and Chiropody Services

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he will take to increase the provision of chiropody and podiatry care in the South of England; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the impact of the introduction of commissioning primary care trusts on the provision of podiatry and chiropody services in the South of England;
	(3)  if he will issue guidance to PCTs setting out the level of service that should be provided for podiatry and chiropody by patient classification;
	(4)  if he will issue a national strategy on the provision of podiatry and chiropody services.

Jacqui Smith: We have no plans to issue any guidance on the level or strategic provision of podiatry and chiropody services. Chiropody/podiatry services are essential parts of the national service frameworks for older people and diabetes as stated the Department's literature. We have also launched a national primary and care trust programme designed to support primary care trusts (PCTs) in delivering their key functions which will be:
	Improving the health of the community
	Securing the provision of high quality services
	Integrating health and social care locally.
	As local organisations, PCTs are best placed to understand the needs of their patient populations. This will ensure that the right services are delivered to the right people in the right location at the right time.

Asylum Seekers (Children)

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children seeking asylum who have arrived in the UK in the last five years have been placed as children in care.

Jacqui Smith: Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are being separately identified for the first time in the Department's statistical collections on looked-after children for the year ending 31 March 2002. At present these data are still being collected and validated. It is anticipated that preliminary figures will be available in the autumn of 2002.

Mental Illness

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions were issued in 200102 for medicines used to treat mental illness.

Jacqui Smith: The number of prescription items dispensed in the community in England for the treatment of mental illness during the financial year ending 31 March 2002 is given in the table.
	Information about the diagnosis for which the drugs were prescribed is not available. Drugs used to treat mental illness have therefore been defined as those within British National Formulary paragraphs Hypnotics and anxiolytics (4.1), Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders ( 4.2) and Antidepressant drugs ( 4.3).
	
		Prescription items dispensed in the community for treatment of mental illness, for the year ending 31 March 2002
		
			   Prescription items (thousands) 
			 England BNF description 1 April 2001 31 March 2002 
		
		
			 4.1 Hypnotics and anxiolytics 16,687 
			   
			 4.1.1 Hypnotics 10,646 
			 Benzodiazepine 6,643 
			 Chloral and derivative 165 
			 Other hypnotics 3,838 
			   
			 4.1.2 Anxiolytics 5,989 
			 Benzodiazepine 5,873 
			 Other anxiolytics 116 
			   
			 4.1.3 Barbiturates 52 
			   
			 4.2 Drugs used in psychoses and related disorders 5,680 
			   
			 4.2.1 Antipsychotic drugs 4,722 
			 Atypical Antipsychotics 1,998 
			 Other 2,724 
			   
			 4.2.2 Antipsychotic depot injections 199 
			   
			 4.2.3 Antimanic drugs 759 
			   
			 4.3 Antidepressant drugs 24,787 
			   
			 4.3.1 Tricyclic and related antidepressant drugs 9,770 
			 Tricyclic antidepressants 9,241 
			 Related antidepressants 529 
			   
			 4.3.2 Monoamine-oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) 91 
			   
			 4.3.3 SSRIs 12,399 
			   
			 4.3.4 Other antidepressant drugs 2,528 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The therapeutic classifications are based on British National Formulary, Number 42 (September 2001).
	2. These data are based on items dispensed by community pharmacists, appliance contractors, dispensing doctors and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered. The data are from the Prescription Cost Analysis system.

Mental Health

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which prisons have mental health in-reach services;
	(2)  pursuant to his answer of 4 March 2002, Official Report, column 127W, what the distribution to young offender institutions is; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  pursuant to his answer of 13 February 2002, Official Report, column 470W, on prisons with no mental health in-reach services, if he will list the prisons for which mental health in-reach services are planned by 2004.

Jacqui Smith: During 200102 mental health in-reach services were being established in the following 18 prisons in England:
	HMP Birmingham
	HMP Belmarsh
	HMP Brixton
	HMP/YOI Bullwood Hall
	HMP/YOI Chelmsford
	HMP Durham
	HMP/YOI/RC Eastwood Park
	HMYOI/RC Feltham
	HMP Frankland
	HMP/YOI Holloway
	HMP Leeds
	HMP Leicester
	HMP Pentonville
	HMP Wandsworth
	HMP Whitemoor
	HMP Winchester
	HMP Woodhill
	HMP Wormwood Scrubs.
	It is planned to establish in-reach services in the following 26 further prisons in England during 200203:
	HMP/YOI Ashfield
	HMP Bedford
	HMP Blakenhurst
	HMP Bristol
	HMP/YOI/RC Brockhill
	HMP Dorchester
	HMP/YOI/RC Exeter
	HMYOI/RC Glen Parva
	HMP Holme House
	HMP Hull
	HMP/YOI Lewes
	HMP Lincoln
	HMP Liverpool
	HMP Long Lartin
	HMP Manchester
	HMP/YOI Moorland
	HMP/YOI New Hall
	HMP/YOI Norwich
	HMP Nottingham
	HMYOI/RC Onley
	HMP Parkhurst
	HMYOI Portland
	HMP Preston
	HMP Rochester
	HMP/YOI Styal
	HMP Wakefield.
	The distribution of new mental health in-reach services for 200304 has not yet been decided.

Mental Health

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what meetings have taken place between Ministers in his Department and Home Office Ministers since 27 February concerning mental health services in prisons;
	(2)  when he last met the Home Secretary to discuss the training of prison nurses to carry out mental health assessments.

Jacqui Smith: We are in regular contact with our counterparts in the Home Office on a range of prison health issues, including mental health services in prisons and the training of nurses and other health care staff working in prisons.

Mental Health

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 457W, on mental health, what conclusions have emerged from the work of the Homelessness Directorate as to the reasons for refusals of offers of help by rough sleepers in so far as they relate to health issues.

Jacqui Smith: The reasons why some rough sleepers refuse help are complex. A significant proportion of those rough sleepers who are still sleeping rough have some kind of mental health problem, and the large majority have some physical health problems. These health needs are often compounded by alcohol and drug misuse.
	The Homelessness Directorate's report, 'More than a roof', acknowledges that there is much more work to be done to help those that remain on the street and that addressing their health needs is a critical part to help them to start to rebuild their lives.
	The Department is working with the Homelessness Directorate to ensure that there are appropriate and effective health services for vulnerable rough sleepers that will enable them to get relevant treatment for their health needs. The Mental Health Bill will also help to target services on some of those who are unable to request treatment for themselves.

Mental Health

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many places have been delivered at Rampton and Broadmoor for dangerous and severe personality disorder sufferers.

Jacqui Smith: Work is well under way to deliver two new units at Rampton and Broadmoor that will deliver 140 places for people suffering from dangerous and severe personality disorder (DSPD). There will be a 70-bed unit at each special hospital and both developments are currently on target for completion by 2004.

Mental Health

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he intends to publish the consultation responses he received in respect of the draft Mental Health Bill.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 8 July 2002
	The consultation responses received in respect of the draft Mental Health Bill will be made publicly available subject to respondents' requests for confidentiality.

Care Homes

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how his Department plans to publicise the amendment to Regulation 5 of the Care Homes Regulations 2001 to (a) local authorities, (b) care home owners and (c) residents and their families;
	(2)  who will be asked to be members of the consultation exercise on the amendment of the Care Homes Regulations 2001 Standard 5; how it will be publicised; how much he expects the exercise to cost; and when he will publish the results.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 18 March 2002
	The draft amendment to Care Home Regulations 2001 was issued for consultation on 19 June for comments by 18 July. A copy has been placed on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/jointunit/freenursingcare.htm. The national health service and local authorities were notified via the chief executive's bulletin on 21 June. Copies of the draft regulations have also been sent direct to the bodies that represent the interests of providers and the elderly and care home residents and their relatives. It is, of course, open to any individual or organisation to comment on the proposed amendments.

Care Homes (Darlington)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) care homes have been closed and (b) care beds have been lost in each year since 1997 in the Darlington constituency.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 29 April 2002
	Information on care homes and places is not available at constituency level. The available information presented in the table shows the number of registered care homes and places in the Durham area at 31 March each year.
	
		Residential and nursing care homes and places in Durham area at 31 March
		
			   Residential care homes(26) Nursing care homes, hospitals and clinics(27),(28) 
			   Homes Places Homes Places 
		
		
			 1997 318 4,469 114 4,597 
			 1998 289 4,544 123 4,537 
			 1999 284 4,801 118 4,230 
			 2000 325 4,978 104 3,675 
			 2001 314 5,082 101 3,251 
		
	
	(26) Information for 1997 is presented for Durham county council, and following local government re-organisation, information for 1998 onwards is presented for the remaining part of Durham county council and Darlington unitary authority.
	(27) Information is presented for County Durham and Darlington health authority.
	(28) Information for 1997 relates to the period 1 October 1996 to 31 March 1997.
	Source:
	Department of Health annual returns

Prescriptions

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescriptions of (a) dextroamphetamine saccharate, (b) amphetamine aspartate, (c) dextroamphetamine sulfate and (d) amphetamine sulfate (dexidrine) were issued in each of the last five years for (i) attention deficit disorder and (ii) attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder dispensed in the community broken down by (A) health authority and (B) region.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 24 June 2002
	We have no prescribing records for drugs named dextroamphetamine saccharate and amphetamine aspartate. Amphetamine sulfate (dexidrine) was last prescribed in the community in 1997 when two items were dispensed.
	Information on the prescribing of dexamphetamine sulphate, for all treatment uses, is shown in the table. Information prior to 1999 is not available.
	
		Number of prescription items dispensed in the community in England for dexamphetamine sulphate by health authorities and regions, 1999 to 2001
		
			  Prescription items (thousands)  
			 Health authority and region(29) 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 Eastern region
			 Bedfordshire 1.2 0.8 0.6 
			 Cambridgeshire 2.6 2.4 2.2 
			 Hertfordshire 0.8 0.8 0.8 
			 Norfolk 0.9 0.9 1.0 
			 North Essex 0.6 0.6 0.6 
			 South Essex 1.0 0.8 0.8 
			 Suffolk 1.5 1.3 1.2 
			 Total for Eastern region 8.6 7.5 7.2 
			 
			 London region
			 Barking and Havering 0.3 0.3 0.3 
			 Barnet, Enfield and Haringey 0.5 0.5 0.6 
			 Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich 0.6 0.7 0.7 
			 Brent and Harrow 0.8 0.8 0.7 
			 Camden and Islington 1.2 1.2 0.9 
			 Croydon 0.4 0.3 0.3 
			 Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow 0.7 0.9 0.8 
			 East London and the City 0.6 0.5 0.5 
			 Hillingdon 0.2 0.2 0.2 
			 Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster 1.1 1.1 1.0 
			 Kingston and Richmond 0.3 0.3 0.3 
			 Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham 0.8 0.8 0.7 
			 Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth 0.6 0.5 0.4 
			 Redbridge and Waltham Forest 0.4 0.5 0.5 
			 Total for London region 8.4 8.6 8.0 
			 
			 North West region
			 Bury and Rochdale 1.9 1.0 0.9 
			 East Lancashire 1.6 1.5 1.6 
			 Liverpool 0.2 0.2 0.1 
			 Manchester 4.3 1.8 2.4 
			 Morecambe Bay 0.3 0.4 0.4 
			 North Cheshire 0.3 0.2 0.2 
			 North West Lancashire 1.4 0.7 0.6 
			 Salford and Trafford 1.8 0.9 1.0 
			 Sefton 0.2 0.2 0.2 
			 South Cheshire 0.3 0.4 0.4 
			 South Lancashire 0.7 0.2 0.2 
			 St. Helens and Knowsley 0.2 0.1 0.1 
			 Stockport 0.4 0.2 0.2 
			 West Pennine 0.9 0.4 0.4 
			 Wigan and Bolton 1.6 1.5 1.2 
			 Wirral 0.2 0.2 0.3 
			 Total for North West region 16.4 9.8 10.1 
			 
			 Northern and Yorkshire region
			 Bradford 0.5 0.5 0.4 
			 Calderdale and Kirklees 0.7 0.8 0.7 
			 County Durham and Darlington 0.3 0.3 0.4 
			 East Riding and Hull 0.3 0.3 0.2 
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside 0.2 0.2 0.2 
			 Leeds 0.4 0.4 0.4 
			 Newcastle and North Tyneside 0.9 0.5 0.4 
			 North Cumbria 0.2 0.2 0.2 
			 North Yorkshire 0.5 0.5 0.5 
			 Northumberland 0.1 0.1 0.2 
			 Sunderland 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 Tees 0.3 0.4 0.4 
			 Wakefield 0.3 0.3 0.3 
			 Total for Northern and Yorkshire region 4.7 4.5 4.3 
			 
			 South East region
			 Berkshire 0.5 0.7 0.7 
			 Buckinghamshire 1.1 0.9 0.9 
			 East Kent 1.0 1.1 1.0 
			 East Surrey 0.2 0.3 0.2 
			 East Sussex, Brighton and Hove 1.1 1.2 1.0 
			 Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire 4.5 1.3 1.3 
			 North and Mid Hampshire 0.9 1.1 1.1 
			 Northamptonshire 0.5 0.4 0.3 
			 Oxfordshire 0.5 0.5 0.4 
			 Southampton and South West Hampshire 4.3 2.9 2.3 
			 West Kent 1.4 1.4 1.4 
			 West Surrey 0.6 0.7 0.8 
			 West Sussex 1.1 1.1 0.9 
			 Total for South East region 17.9 13.2 12.2 
			 
			 South West region
			 Avon 0.7 0.5 0.5 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 3.0 2.7 2.5 
			 Dorset 0.7 0.9 0.9 
			 Gloucestershire 0.7 0.7 0.6 
			 North and East Devon 2.1 1.4 0.7 
			 Somerset 0.5 0.8 1.1 
			 South and West Devon 1.5 1.4 0.9 
			 Wiltshire 1.0 0.8 0.8 
			 Total for South West region 10.1 9.3 8.2 
			 
			 Trent region
			 Barnsley 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 Doncaster 0.5 0.5 0.5 
			 Leicestershire 0.9 0.8 0.7 
			 Lincolnshire 0.6 0.8 0.8 
			 North Derbyshire 0.2 0.2 0.3 
			 North Nottinghamshire 0.2 0.3 0.3 
			 Nottingham 0.4 0.4 0.4 
			 Rotherham 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 Sheffield 0.9 0.9 1.0 
			 South Humber 0.2 0.2 0.2 
			 South Derbyshire 0.6 0.6 0.4 
			 Total for Trent region 4.8 5.0 4.8 
			 
			 West Midlands region
			 Birmingham 9.8 11.2 11.2 
			 Coventry 0.9 0.7 0.8 
			 Dudley 0.4 0.3 0.2 
			 Herefordshire 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 North Staffordshire 0.3 0.3 0.2 
			 Sandwell 0.7 0.6 0.5 
			 Shropshire 0.2 0.2 0.2 
			 Solihull 0.2 0.2 0.2 
			 South Staffordshire 0.7 0.5 0.7 
			 Walsall 1.1 1.3 1.1 
			 Warwickshire 0.7 0.6 0.6 
			 Wolverhampton 3.1 0.8 0.6 
			 Worcestershire 1.2 1.3 1.0 
			 Total for West Midlands region 19.4 18.1 17.5 
			 
			 England 90.2 76.0 72.3 
		
	
	(29) In which prescription items were dispensed.
	Notes:
	1. Dexamphetamine sulphate is defined within the British National Formulary (BNF) section 4.4, central nervous system stimulants.
	2. The data are from the Prescription Cost Analysis system and cover all prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and dispensing doctors in England. The system covers prescriptions originating from general practices and also those written by nurses.

NHS Complaints Procedure

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress his Department has made with reforms to the NHS complaints procedure.

David Lammy: holding answer 3 July 2002
	We are currently considering reform of the NHS complaints procedure following the independent evaluation in 19992000 and the subsequent listening exercise completed in October 2001, as well as the Chancellor's Budget statement and the subsequent publication of Delivering the NHS Plan in April this year. Delivering the NHS Plan set out the proposal to establish a new Commission for Health Care Audit and Inspection among whose responsibilities will be the independent scrutiny of complaints. The Chief Medical Officer is also considering the scope for closer links between the systems for dealing with complaints and clinical negligence claims among the possible alternatives for clinical negligence reform. We hope to be able to indicate the way forward on the reforms soon.
	Changes to the complaints procedure will need to take place in the context of the wider measures to empower patients and increase patient involvement in the development of health services. For example, patient advice and liaison services have already been or are being established in NHS and primary care trusts to help sort out problems on the spot.

Emergency Admissions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the annual growth rate of emergency admissions for people aged over 75 years for each year since 199798 to the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 4 July 2002
	The information requested is set out in the table.
	
		
			  Year Emergency admissions for people aged 75 and over  Percentage increase on previous year 
		
		
			 199798 912,347 - 
			 199899 939,276 2.95 
			 19992000 954,542 1.63 
			 200001 961,275 0.71 
		
	
	Note:
	Data in this table are adjusted for both coverage and unknown/ invalid clinical data, except for 200001, which are not yet adjusted for shortfalls.
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health.
	The emergency admissions targets, as set out in the Planning and Performance Framework, are being met and good progress is being made.

NHS (West Surrey)

David Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by how much the funding of NHS services in west Surrey has been reduced since 1997 to bring it into line with the requirements of the Resource Allocation Working Party.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 5 July 2002
	Actual funding for the national health service in west Surrey has risen from 369.8 million in 199798 to 485.9 million in 200203. This represents an increase of 31.4 per cent.
	Real terms percentage allocation increases in west Surrey and nationally are shown in the table.
	
		Percentage 
		
			 Year Real terms increase Average increase in England 
		
		
			 199798 2.54 2.04 
			 199899 1.35 1.90 
			 19992000 2.91 4.00 
			 200001 3.67 4.18 
			 200102 5.91 5.85 
			 200203 6.89 7.20 
		
	
	During this period, changes in the resource allocation formula have meant that west Surrey has moved from being 1.71 per cent. above its target in 199798 to 3.63 per cent. above target in 200203.

Castle Award for Equal Pay

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if his Department has applied for a Castle award for equal pay.

David Lammy: The Department has not applied for a Castle award in 2002. We are committed to review our pay systems in response to the Equal Opportunities Commission Task Force Just Pay report, in which the Government have committed Departments and Agencies to review their pay systems by April 2003 and prepare action plans to close any equal pay gaps.

CJD

James Plaskitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the tenth annual report of the National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit.

Hazel Blears: The National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit's tenth annual report has been published today. The report documents the unit's findings in relation to sporadic, familial and iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), and also variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), up to 31 December 2000. Copies have been placed in the Library, and are available on the unit's website at www.cjd.ed.ac.uk

Care Leavers

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 27 June 2002, Official Report, column 1047W, on leaving care, how many care leavers have been assisted by their local authority to stay within education and training on an agreed programme by health authority.

Jacqui Smith: Further to my previous reply of 24 June 2002, Official Report, column 736W, we do not hold this information centrally at present. However, we will be publishing, in the autumn, information on care leavers in education and training. This will include data on the percentage of those young people who were looked after on 1 April in their 17th year (aged 16) who were in education, training or employment at the age of 19. These data will show how progress is being made towards the Government's objective of increasing the level of employment, training or education among young people aged 19, who were looked after at age 16.

Radiotherapy Waiting Lists

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the meetings he and his Ministers (a) have had and (b) propose to have with NHS trust and health authority chairmen and chief executives to discuss (i) reducing radiotherapy waiting lists and (ii) the associated financial implications of such action.

Hazel Blears: Ministers have not met chairmen and chief executives specifically to discuss reducing radiotherapy waiting times. However, we are taking wide-ranging action to improve radiotherapy waiting times, including a number of initiatives aimed at tackling the shortage of professionals associated with radiotherapy delivery, major investment in radiotherapy equipment, streamlining radiotherapy delivery through the cancer services collaborative and increasing the number of training places for radiographers.